MOTHER RITA CAMILLERI WAS KILLED AT HANDS OF HER UNWELL DAUGHTER
On 20 July 2019, in a quiet street in St Clair in New South Wales, Australia, a woman was heard begging her neighbours to call the police. That woman was Jessica Camilleri – and she had just killed her mother. As the case hits the headlines again, we look at the tragic events.
COMPLEX ISSUES
Vince and Rita Camilleri had two daughters, Kristy and Jessica, but while Kristy did well in school and went on to become a mother, Jessica was troubled and experienced a variety of mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, anxiety, and paranoia. Her initial diagnosis came early in childhood when doctors identified Jessica as suffering from autism and ADHD. She was bullied at school, but when one incident ended in an assault, she was removed from mainstream education.
In the years that followed, Jessica experienced frequent violent outbursts that appeared to be focused on women. While some of the victims were members of her family, including her mother and aunt, she also attacked several strangers. Eventually, Vince and Rita divorced, and Rita proceeded to raise Jessica alone. Despite a cocktail of medications prescribed to control Jessica’s rages, she habitually vomited up her pills and Rita was never able to determine if her daughter had taken any of the drugs that were supposed to help. Still, Rita remained devoted to Jessica, even in the face of worsening problems.
In 2018, Jessica was detained in a psychiatric hospital under the mental health act after she assaulted a woman in a doctor’s waiting room. While admitted for a nine-day stay, she would go on to attack the nurses. After she was prescribed anti-psychotic drugs, Rita discharged her daughter, telling the medical professionals that she would look after her at home. The detention scared Jessica and when she returned home, she allegedly confided in a friend that she would rather kill someone than go back to a psychiatric hospital.
ESCALATION
Despite the constant issues, Jessica and Rita had a loving relationship and would regularly exchange sweet messages on social media. But Jessica’s struggles showed no sign of abating. She had become fixated on the owner of a meat company based in Daylesford, Victoria, and would call his phone hundreds of times a day. During the calls, she would threaten to stab him and cut off his head with a knife. When she started to call the owner’s wife and also threaten to kill her, Rita took her daughter to the local police station and asked officers to tell her to stop. This seemed to have some effect and the phone calls temporarily ceased. But then, on 20 July 2019, Jessica and her mother were out walking when a man crossed their path. For some reason, the sighting prompted an intense episode of paranoia and Jessica became convinced her mothe
