‘Just Say Goodbye’ (January 2013 online edition)

Chapter 1IntroductionIn January 2009, Arthur Freeman stopped his car on the Westgate Bridgeand threw his four-year-old daughter, Darcey, over the edge. She died laterthat day in hospital as a result of the injuries she received from the 60-metrefall. The Westgate Bridge is a highly public landmark in Melbourne and ArthurFreeman’s actions, in the midst of early morning peak hour traffic, shockedthe community. Widespread grief was felt for the loss of this child. In 2011,Arthur Freeman was convicted of his daughter’s murder. Justice Coghlan, insentencing Arthur Freeman, said ‘you brought the broader community into thiscase in a way that has been rarely, if ever, seen before. It offends our collectiveconscience.’ 1Arthur Freeman’s case transfixed the community and from the time ofDarcey’s death until the aftermath of the sentencing the media grappled withefforts to explain what happened. The case was described as ‘inexplicable’. 2This discussion paper was prompted by the death of Darcey Freeman andother young children in Victoria, killed by their fathers. Those of us working inthe family violence sector believe these deaths are not inexplicable. Too oftenthey occur in the context of the parents’ separation and are linked to violenceagainst the mother. Often the target of these acts is not the children themselves;rather the intention is to harm the mother. This context is not well understoodand has received limited attention by child homicide researchers.The paper explores the issue of parents who kill their children in the contextof separation, in an attempt to demystify this topic. In order to prevent thesedeaths it is necessary to understand why they happen, what factors precipitatethem and how to effectively intervene. It argues that to understand these cases,it is crucial to examine the nature of the relationship between the parents.1 R v Freeman [2011] VSC 139 (para 17). Justice Coghlan’s sentence was broadcast live from the court.2 For instance, see Carlyon & Anderson (2011),‘Explaining the inexplicable: How could Arthur Freeman killDarcey?’ Herald Sun, 29 March 2011.5