A 35-year-old man has been charged with murder after allegedly throwing his young daughter from a 190ft bridge into a river in Australia.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content...4/15212780.jpg Arthur Freeman has been charged with murder (Pic: John Hargest/ Herald Sun.au)
The man, named as Arthur Freeman, apparently pushed four-year-old Darcey off
Melbourne's West Gate Bridge into the Yarra River.
He is believed to be involved in a custody battle with the girl's mother, according to reports.
It happened in front of hundreds of motorists as two other children, believed to be boys aged six and eight, remained in the man's four-wheel drive, police said.
"No one had the opportunity to intervene... it all happened fairly quickly," Detective Inspector Steve Clark said.
"He's got straight out of the car and taken the young girl and walked to the edge of the bridge, so that would have happened in a matter of seconds."
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content...4/15212641.jpg West Gate Bridge in Melbourne
Horrified witnesses called police, who were on the scene within moments and retrieved her body from the water.
They spent 45 minutes attempting to resuscitate the youngster on the riverbank.
She died from severe internal inuries within hours of being airlifted to hospital.
The man was arrested outside the city's law courts building with the two young boys shortly after the incident, and was "visibly distressed", Mr Clark said.
He was not mentally fit to be interviewed and his lawyers said he could not appear in court because he was suicidal and in an "acute psychiatric state".
His case will be heard in May, says the
Herald Sun.
"It's a dreadful set of circumstances and often you think you've seen it all but you haven't," Det Insp Clark said, adding that the man is believed to be embroiled in a custody battle with his wife.
"There have been some ongoing family court matters as I understand it between the father and his wife," he said.
The couple reportedly reached an agreement in court on Wednesday appointing joint custody. The boys were interviewed by police and have been returned to their mother.
