Leanne Camilleri leaving court yesterday, when she again admitted lying about sexual abuse. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

A young woman who admitted on national television to making up sex abuse allegations against her father yesterday repeated the admission in court, admitting to a charge of perjury.

Leanne Camilleri, 20, admitted to repeatedly lying about being sexually abused by her father from 2004, when she was eight years old, up to recently, when she retracted the allegation.

Ms Camilleri says she was coerced into making the claim by her mother, Lisa May, who in separate proceedings is pleading not guilty to perjury. Her estranged husband, Emanuel, spent nearly 400 days in jail after he was found guilty of defiling his daughter.

The 42-year-old was serving a two-year term but was provisionally released by order of the Constitutional Court pending the outcome of the criminal case against his former wife.

During the proceedings yesterday, Magistrate Doreen Clarke said she had received an application from the lawyer representing Lisa May Camilleri, Martin Fenech, asking for her daughter to be psychologically examined.

Dr Fenech told the court that in the magisterial inquiry it was stated that Leanne Camilleri needed psychological help. He believed she was unfit to stand trial and a psychological examination was needed.

Leanne Camilleri is the most important witness against her mother.

Lawyer Maxilene Pace, appearing for Leanne Camilleri, said her client had admitted the charges and therefore any request for examinations or witnesses was void as the court by law had to move forward and hand down judgment. Dr Pace said not everyone who needed psychological help was unfit to stand trial.

“We have a girl before us who needs to close this chapter in her life so she could start living again,” Dr Pace said.

Magistrate Clarke in a decree ruled that the request for the psychological examination was not justified and dismissed it. At this point, Ms Camilleri confirmed her guilty plea and the magistrate ordered that a pre-sentencing report be drawn up and presented in court on August 27.