A girl, now 20, who was allegedly pressured by her mother to falsely testify  that her father had sexually abused her, had filed some 25 police reports against her mother for child neglect, a court was told today.

But the police inspector who prosecuted her father said she did not know about them.

The reports were filed from 2008 onwards.

The father, Emanuel Camilleri, had been charged in 2004 with corruption of minors and the case had continued despite the reports. He was convicted and jailed and was only temporarily released last Monday.

He is currently suing the prosecuting inspector, Louise Calleja.

Lawyer Tonio Azzopardi, Mr Camilleri's lawyer, told the court today that by missing the reports, the inspector had 'not missed a mouse, but an elephant'.

Taking the witness stand, Inspector Calleja, replying to questions by Dr Azzopardi, said the girl's allegations were forwarded to the police by Appogg. 

The inspector said she and other and officers had heard the girl’s version and found her to be consistent. The case was discussed with Appogg  and the Attorney General’s office before Mr Camilleri's arraignment on charges of corruption of minors.

Dr Azzopardi pointed out that his client had stated that he had filed a criminal complaint about defamatory allegations of sexual abuse.

Inspector Calleja said that such a complaint would have been made in a police station and not through Appogg. Her section investigated sexual abuse claims forwarded by Appogg.

Dr Azzopardi said that in a statement to the police on November 6, 2004, Mr Camilleri stated that his estranged wife was refusing to give him access to his children because he was not paying child maintenance as he did not have a job.

He asked the inspector whether she had known of the criminal complaint before charging the man.

The inspector replied that she did.

The lawyer asked her whether she had sought all proof, for and against Mr Camilleri or just proof against?

The inspector said she did her duty and collected all evidence.

The lawyer noted that Adriana Sammut, from the Child Protection Services, had made a declaration saying that the inspector has asked for an urgent psychological report because she felt there were some conflicting issues. So what was the truth, was the girl consistent, or not?

The inspector said that when children of a certain age - the girl was eight at the time - tried to explain sexual abuse, more details were sought.

She noted that the police did not accuse Mr Azzopardi of rape but corruption of minors since no medical evidence of rape had resulted.

Dr Azzopardi said the girl spoke against her mother to friends at school and the report issued by Appogg was littered with these details.

The inspector said she had known about the problems which the girl had with her parents and she spoke to her about them.

Shown a list of police reports, the inspector was asked if she knew about any of these reports. Had her subordinates told her that the girl had gone to the police headquarters with her father in March 2010 to apologise for lying to the police?

The inspector said the visit was logged, but at no time had the girl said that she had lied to the police.

The inspector was asked whether she knew that the girl's (late) brother had been kicked out of the house by the mother and was sleeping outside.

The inspector said nobody informed her of these allegations.

Asked whether a magistrate had urged her, twice, to investigate the mother on child abuse, the inspector said she spoke to her superiors for someone else to investigate. However, she could not recall what she told the magistrate.

Dr Azzopardi said the girl had gone to speak to Stephanie Galea, the children's lawyer, after then minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici received a complaint.

Inspector Calleja noted that it was the court, and not her, who stopped Dr Galea from testifying. She had had no objection to Dr Galea testifying.

Dr Azzopardi said that when the girl's brother was dying, the court appointed Dr Galea to record his testimony. Why did prosecution object to this?

Inspector Calleja denied that she had objected.

Asked why Mr Camilleri was accused of defilement and not rape, Inspector Calleja said that when eight-year-old children spoke to police, they did not know what penetration really meant. Since it had not been medically established that any harm was caused to he girl, the police opted to file defilement charges.

Inspector Calleja said that initially the girl told Appogg that she was sexually abused and then she told Stephanie Galea that she said she lied. Then she confirmed her previous version before a Magistrate.

Dr Azzopardi observed that the gynaecologist had said that there was no evidence of sexual abuse of any kind. What weight did the police give to this statement?

The inspector said this happened in 2005. She did not charge Mr Camilleri with rape.

Asked how she could explain that there were 25 reports about child neglect by Mrs Camilleri, and yet she only investigated Mr Camilleri , the inspector said she did not know and about these reports, which would be received at the stations and could remain there.

Dr Azzopardi argued that Police Inspector Louise Calleja actively contributed to the wrongful conviction of his client.

"I'm not saying she missed a mouse, she missed an elephant", he said.

The case continues.