Man accused of fathering four children with his own daughter

Police were alerted when it was alleged that the couple's two year old disabled child had died

French police say the 50 year old man is currently in custody (PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images)

A man said to have fathered four children with his own daughter has been arrested on suspicion of sexual and physical assault.

The 50 year old Frenchman was arrested in the town of Dunkirk, close to the border with Belgium, French police have confirmed.

The charges relate to his daughter, now 30, as well as all of the younger members of his family.

It is reported that police raised concerns about the family after the daughter’s two year old disabled child died. Following the child’s death, police were alerted to alleged sexual and physical abuse against multiple family members, linked to the man.

A spokesperson for Calais police confirmed that the man was “in custody, and being questioned.”

Unlike in other countries such as the UK, incest is not a specifically outlawed offence in France. However, non-consensual sexual activity been family members is a crime.