Father throws 4-year-old daughter from bridge

January 29, 2009

A 35-year-old man had been charged with murdering his daughter after allegedly throwing her from the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne, Australia.

The man, named as IT consultant Arthur Phillip Freeman, was arrested following an incident at 0910AEST (2210 UTC) where Darcey Iris Freeman, 4, fell 60m into a river. She was rescued from the water but had suffered severe injuries and died later in the city's Royal Children's Hospital. Two other children were in the car at the time of the incident. They are believed also to be the children of Arthur Freeman. Freeman and his wife, Peta, split in 2007.

Shortly after the incident, Freeman was spotted in the Commonwealth Law Courts in William Street with the two other children. He appeared to be in a distressed or confused state. He was arrested immediately and his case brought to Melbourne Magistrates' Court this afternoon.

The police say that Freeman is in an acute psychiatric state and cannot be questioned.