5yo Girl deliberately thrown off Westgate Bridge

[Cookie-XR8]

Originally Posted by ken2903

Makes me sick to think about but killing the guy (or letting him be bashed and raped etc) isn't going to help anyone. Its pretty sad that most people on here and elsewhere still think that primitively. Unless we can understand why he's done it what chance do we have of stopping the next guy that snaps and does something off the scale like this. Its not like this is a rare thing, we're only talking about it this time because of the extreme way he did it.
I don't want the guy walking around in public and he deserves to be punished for what he's done to everyone involved, especially the little girl, but if people are seriously (as in other than an angry, knee jerk reaction) hoping the guy gets raped or something, then you need to grow up.

Metal illness, people wont talk about it, us guys mostley, and it just gets worse unless people do something about it, ive been there done that, but not to this extreem, so if your feeling down about it, talk about it, it does not kill your ego to see somebody about it, not like we drive vn commodores anyway

i lost a close family friend due to metal illness, people just need to be aware,
it could happen to anyone

[shane3]

I was sitting on the couch with Abby in my arms ( in front of the air con) and was brought to tears, how could it be done.
And why the hell hasn't the west gate got a safety barrier to stop people doing this???

[AndrewE]

West Gate barriers fast-tracked: Brumby


The Victorian State Government will do "anything humanly possible" to fast-track suicide prevention barriers on the West Gate Bridge following the alleged murder of a four-year-old girl.

Victoria was shocked yesterday by the death of Darcey Freeman, who was found floating in the Yarra River after allegedly being dropped from a 58-metre section of the bridge.

Darcey's father, Arthur Phillip Freeman, is alleged to have thrown her off the West Gate about 9am - the Hawthorn man faced Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon charged with her murder.

Premier John Brumby this morning said plans were already being drawn up to install barriers on the bridge after emergency talks with VicRoads yesterday.

"We are committed to putting in place the safety barriers on the bridge (and) we will do anything humanly possible to speed this up," he told ABC radio.

"When we committed to the bridge project we had a long discussion about the issue of the safety barriers.

"There has been a difference of opinion about whether this is the right thing to do. We received different advice about it."

Roads Minister Tim Pallas contacted the head of VicRoads immediately after hearing of Darcey Freeman's death yesterday to see if the work could be done more quickly.

"We've agreed that whatever we can do to accelerate the delivery of effective and well-structured suicide prevention barriers will be done," Mr Pallas told Radio 3AW.

"I've asked VicRoads to see if this part of the work, on the bridge, can be given our highest priority."

Mr Pallas was not able to say how much more quickly the barriers could be erected.

He defended the government's years of inaction on installing the barriers despite calls from the coroner and mental health experts for the higher fences.

"The expert advice says if you take away the capacity for impulse action you do have an effect upon the rate of suicides. So on the basis of that advice, I felt compelled," he said.

"The first opportunity that arose to actually do something about this in the context of appropriately-designed structures (through the bridge strengthening project), I took that action."

[JetBlack351]

i have 2 things to say my heart goes out to the family of the child and may the father get 25 to life no parole. that is just wrong so so wrong

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by AndrewE

West Gate barriers fast-tracked: Brumby


The Victorian State Government will do "anything humanly possible" to fast-track suicide prevention barriers on the West Gate Bridge following the alleged murder of a four-year-old girl.

Victoria was shocked yesterday by the death of Darcey Freeman, who was found floating in the Yarra River after allegedly being dropped from a 58-metre section of the bridge.

Darcey's father, Arthur Phillip Freeman, is alleged to have thrown her off the West Gate about 9am - the Hawthorn man faced Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon charged with her murder.

Premier John Brumby this morning said plans were already being drawn up to install barriers on the bridge after emergency talks with VicRoads yesterday.

"We are committed to putting in place the safety barriers on the bridge (and) we will do anything humanly possible to speed this up," he told ABC radio.

"When we committed to the bridge project we had a long discussion about the issue of the safety barriers.

"There has been a difference of opinion about whether this is the right thing to do. We received different advice about it."

Roads Minister Tim Pallas contacted the head of VicRoads immediately after hearing of Darcey Freeman's death yesterday to see if the work could be done more quickly.

"We've agreed that whatever we can do to accelerate the delivery of effective and well-structured suicide prevention barriers will be done," Mr Pallas told Radio 3AW.

"I've asked VicRoads to see if this part of the work, on the bridge, can be given our highest priority."

Mr Pallas was not able to say how much more quickly the barriers could be erected.

He defended the government's years of inaction on installing the barriers despite calls from the coroner and mental health experts for the higher fences.

"The expert advice says if you take away the capacity for impulse action you do have an effect upon the rate of suicides. So on the basis of that advice, I felt compelled," he said.

"The first opportunity that arose to actually do something about this in the context of appropriately-designed structures (through the bridge strengthening project), I took that action."

aren't these guys just lovely . it's great to see human decency and people doing something about it,at the 1st oportunity.

[Redrum]

In relation the West Gate Bridge, there is an average of about one jumper per week. The barriers should have been put up years ago. The Government has no excuse. I am worried about another Melbourne bridge which to my knowledge is far higher and not as well monitored by Vic Roads, if at all.

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by shane3

I was sitting on the couch with Abby in my arms ( in front of the air con) and was brought to tears, how could it be done.
And why the hell hasn't the west gate got a safety barrier to stop people doing this???

How many times have you heard of a child being thrown of the WGB during the last 30 years! I can think of one.

Originally Posted by Redrum

In relation the West Gate Bridge, there is an average of about one jumper per week. The barriers should have been put up years ago. The Government has no excuse. I am worried about another Melbourne bridge which to my knowledge is far higher and not as well monitored by Vic Roads, if at all.

So these people will not step infront for trucks or trains now traumatising more people than before.

Fences/barriers are not a solution

[FPVF6X189]

they should tie a anchor to his legs and trhow him over but make the rope long enough so his head is just under make the #$%^ suffer and fight for his last breath

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

How many times have you heard of a child being thrown of the WGB during the last 30 years! I can think of one.


So these people will not step infront for trucks or trains now traumatising more people than before.

Fences/barriers are not a solution

I am not sure who has stated that they are a solution, perhaps the Government, but not I. My thoughts are that one wants to minimize the risk.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by EGODRIVEN

they should tie a anchor to his legs and trhow him over but make the rope long enough so his head is just under make the #$%^ suffer and fight for his last breath

The circumstances changed.
Yes, the guy is a turdburglar, but he also has severe mental issues so the case is not as clear.
He was apparently a wonderful father (according to neighbours) so he wasn't abusive.
He clearly just snapped.

While he will deserve any legal sentencing he gets (provided it actually is a punishment), to reciprocate will solve nothing and makes you just as bad as him.

The solution to many problems is never as simple as this.

[FPVF6X189]

Originally Posted by uranium_death

The circumstances changed.
Yes, the guy is a turdburglar, but he also has severe mental issues so the case is not as clear.
He was apparently a wonderful father (according to neighbours) so he wasn't abusive.
He clearly just snapped.

While he will deserve any legal sentencing he gets (provided it actually is a punishment), to reciprocate will solve nothing and makes you just as bad as him.

The solution to many problems is never as simple as this.

i take back what i previously posted and may he get the help that he obviously needs

[XRQTR]

Originally Posted by EGODRIVEN

i take back what i previously posted and may he get the help that he obviously needs

I wouldn't, taking your own life due to mental illness is one thing, but taking the life of another, of one so defenceless and dependant on your love and protection is inexcusable.

To then hide behind a defence of mental deficiency/instability is a cowards defence.

[XWGT]

Originally Posted by XRQTR

I

To then hide behind a defence of mental deficiency/instability is a cowards defence.

I think you may be missing the point here. Mental illness is just that. An illness. You just dont get to choose when to turn it on or turn it off and therefore you dont get to dictate its impact on your or those around you.

Depression, as has been discussed may times on this forum, is just one example of such an illness. Identification and minimisation are about the best things you can do. No point trying to hold someone accountable for something they clearly have no control over. Be it depression or any other of the hundreds of mental illnesses. And if you think that this is a far fetched and seldom occuring event, take a good hard look at your family and colleagues. There is a good chance on of them will suffer from some form of mental illness in some varying degree.

In this case unfortunately innocents were harmed and its a disaster and a tragedy. Especially for the little girl who had bourne the brunt of the problem.

[XRQTR]

No control???

But he had enough control to get in his car with the kids
Enough control to drive the car onto the bridge
Enough control to pull over on a busy bridge, in front of 100's of witnesses (I said witnesses for a reason)
Enough control to take one of his kids out, remember he had them all in their
Enough control to pick her up and hold her over the edge
And even enough control to make a rational decision to throw her over to make a point to his wife.

Mental illness is not a joke and I'm not saying anything of the sort, but I am so sick and tired of murder defences based around mental illness/deficiency, it's an easy out.

[JC]

Originally Posted by XRQTR

No control???

But he had enough control to get in his car with the kids
Enough control to drive the car onto the bridge
Enough control to pull over on a busy bridge, in front of 100's of witnesses (I said witnesses for a reason)
Enough control to take one of his kids out, remember he had them all in their
Enough control to pick her up and hold her over the edge
And even enough control to make a rational decision to throw her over to make a point to his wife.

Mental illness is not a joke and I'm not saying anything of the sort, but I am so sick and tired of murder defences based around mental illness/deficiency, it's an easy out.

Agreed.

Actually the report doesn't state he has a mental illness at all. It states that he wasn't required at court because he was in psychological distress. ie, he realised what he did and is feeling guilty (and pain) about it.

I heard reports on the weekend that the girl may have been unconscious before being tossed over the bridge - witness reports say she was not fighting against it and was quite limp in his arms; but maybe she was like that because it was her dad, and of course she would just think he was holding/comforting her. Which makes what he did worse, IMO - she trusted, and he could not have betrayed that trust any more if he tried. He was cold and calculated in his actions.

[adrianb]

I think people miss the point about mental illness in these sort of circumstances.

It's not used as a defence to make an excuse for committing an act - especially one as horrible as this. It's not meant to be an 'oh but he had a mental illness so committing the act was ok' explanation. Identifying that a mental illness was involved does not make the person less responsible for their actions - it does mean they were legitimately less able to control or prevent their actions.

I absolutely agree that there needs to be a severe penalty for committing this crime. It's a tragedy and could and should have been avoided. There needs to be more awareness of mental health in our court system when handling family court cases (think back to the father's day tragedy a couple years ago - similar situation).

I cringe when I think about what must have gone through the poor little girl's mind while being dragged from the car by her father. She must have been so confused and terrified about what was happening.

Even having the utmost disbelief and sadness for the little one, I struggle with the comments labelling him a monster and calling for him to be killed (wtf!) as retribution. Amazing that in sympathy and empathy for the little girl people are so happy to publicly become cold-blooded killers themselves...

[XRQTR]

I never said killed.

Now torturing, that's what I'm talking about, having each individual finger crushed in a rolling press ever so slowly just to prolong the ecstasy he would feel.

Mental deficiency you say??
Me you say??

[XWGT]

I drew up long replies to this twice now but then scrapped them both

No one knows the circumstances of this case. And that is not what is being debated. What is being debated is what effect mental illness has on the thought processes of individuals.

Its really this simple. if you think someone is in full control of their actions, by all means label their behaviour as premeditated and evil.

If you believe mental illness effects what that person considers to be normal, then you will concede that your flogging a dead horse by trying to extract retribution.

[XRQTR]

Originally Posted by XWGT

then you will concede that your flogging a dead horse by trying to extract retribution.

Imagine the fun though, why would you deny me that??

[gz1]

No one knows what really happened that day. We only get fragmented bits and pieces from disjointed sources to try and piece together best we can.
However as a summary consider the following.
The route taken that fateful day was not out of the ordinary. The father did not go out of his way to drive over that bridge. It may just possibly mean that this was not a pre-meditated course of action, but rather a snap decision for whatever reason.
Now lets assume that barriers were in place on that bridge.
In that case it would not be too far of a stretch to imagine that the course of things would be different. For whatever snap decision was made at that point on the bridge had the barriers been there it would have prevented it and just maybe, rational thoughts would have prevailed and the disaster averted.
have a read of this article especially the end few paragraphs.

[gtfpv]

If I Was A Moderator . I'd Lock This Thread Now . We All Know What We Think !!!!

[Bobman]

I was reading in the Herald Sun over the weekend that a witness ran over to him as he had just thrown the poor girl off the bridge and he proceeded back to his car and drove off.

There was speculation that he was going to throw all three children off the bridge (which does sound plausible).

The other case I recall of a custody / homicide thing is where the drop kick drove his Commodore into a dam just near Colac some years ago. His excuse was a *coughing fit*.

So this time we have a *mental* excuse. Yes, that's all it is. I have had depression for well over 10 years and many other "mental issues", yet I would never ever think of harming anyone, even if I was having an attack and in the worst mood of the day under high-pressure. It is an excuse and there was NO excuse to do what he did.

There won't be a "bubba", because as others have mentioned the law is a joke and justice is never just. The Government are pathetic as well, because they were warned about the bridge in 2004 after a study was taken out and showed that barriers would remove the risk associated with jumpers. I know that there is always the chance that they'll go to other bridges, such as the Bolte, but removing the risk from the West Gate must happen now!

[Bluepower]

Weatherby magnum .300, one round, wont take long, problem solved.

Maybe we should change the thread title to "who has a license to breed??"

disgusting, gut wrenching, and there is not enough blood in his body to satisfy me.

Close the thread, this is making us all sick.

[3vXT]

Originally Posted by Bluepower

Weatherby magnum .300, one round, wont take long, problem solved.

Maybe we should change the thread title to "who has a license to breed??"

disgusting, gut wrenching, and there is not enough blood in his body to satisfy me.

Close the thread, this is making us all sick.

Perhaps someone should shoot the thread then? that'll fix everything :

[Falcon Coupe]

This one has run it's course, just getting silly now.