Casey Anthony's father 'could sue her over child murder claims', expert warns

Legal experts have warned that Casey Anthony's father could sue her over her murder and child sex abuse claims against him.

The 36-year-old who was dubbed 'America's most hated mom' first made the headlines back in 2008 after her two-year-old daughter disappeared.

For 31 days she failed to contact the authorities, only for her mum Cindy to notify the police about the missing child.

What followed was a police investigation in which Casey created a web of lies, centring on a fictitious nanny she claimed had taken her daughter Caylee.

Six months later, the toddler's remains were found in a laundry bag near the family's Orlando home.

In 2011 the case went to trial, with the defence team alleging that the child had accidentally drowned in the family's swimming pool and her body was disposed of by Casey's dad, George.

Shocking sexual abuse claims were also made against George during the trial, which ultimately saw Casey acquitted of the murder charge against her.

The verdict enraged the public, with many believing to this day that she is responsible for Caylee's death.

One of the focus points of the case was the 36-year-old's behaviour during the period when her daughter was missing, with photos showing her partying with friends.

Peacock

In a new, three-part series - Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies - Casey has since shared her version of events in her first on-camera interview since the saga.

The upcoming documentary sees Casey make a number of explosive accusations against her ex-cop dad.

Among the claims are that her father is a 'pedophile' and he 'raped' her repeatedly when she was a child.

She also suggested he may have also been abusing Caylee, and claimed he is responsible for the girl's death.

A legal expert has since spoken to the New York Post to warn that Mr Anthony could sue his daughter for defamation if the claims are false.

New York intellectual property lawyer Richard Altman told the outlet: "If she said it at her trial, that would be privileged.

"If she says it outside of a court proceeding then of course it’s actionable and if she repeats it now, even though this happened years ago, in theory [her dad] has a year to go after her."

Sipa US/Alamy Stock Photo

Adding to this, Alan Lewis of Carter Ledyard & Milburn, who specialises in defamation and criminal defence cases, said that whether or not the allegations are true, what she says is legally considered a 'statement of fact'.

"The statement so-and-so raped me is a factual statement that can be proven or disproven and therefore it qualifies as the kind of statement that can be defamation," he said.

"Theoretically does he have a legally sufficient case to bring? It would seem so."

But if he does take legal action, Lewis explained that he'd have to prove her claims were made with actual malice.

Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies premieres on Peacock on 29 November.