MELBOURNE - The city's Anglican archbishop has joined calls for suicide barriers to be urgently installed on the city's West Gate Bridge after the alleged murder of a young girl.
Archbishop Philip Freier also urged Victorians to be more supportive of members of the community who were experiencingdifficulties, after four-year-old Darcey Freeman was allegedly thrown from the bridge by her father yesterday morning.
"I join with other voices asking the state government to move with urgency to provide protective fencing along the top of the West Gate Bridge," Dr Freier said in a statement.
Darcey died from massive internal injuries in the Royal Children's Hospital yesterday afternoon, hours after falling 58 metres into the water.
Archbishop Freier said he hoped the tragedy would make people more aware of their neighbours and to reach out to those hurting.
"... there are deeper questions about what is happening in a person's life that would lead to such a terrible outcome, the vulnerability of individuals that can lead to such dislocation and breakdown," he said.
"See this as a wake up call to a society which has largely lost the strong neighbourhood and community relationships of times past."
Today, Victorian Premier John Brumby said suicide barriers were planned as part of the A$1.4 billion ($1.80 billion) upgrade of the Monash and West Gate freeways.
That project was not due to finish until the end of next year but the government would see if it could install the barriers sooner, he said.
"What we've asked VicRoads to do, in the light of recent events, is to see if that project can be fast tracked," Mr Brumby told reporters.
"It's always been their view that it is best to do the bridge improvements and the widening in partnership with the barriers - running parallel.
"But obviously we've asked if new arrangements can be put in place which would fast-track that work. I can't put a date on that for you today."
Meanwhile, 35-year-old Hawthorn man Arthur Phillip Freeman has been charged with his daughter's murder.
The Melbourne Magistrates Court was told the Freeman was suffering from acute psychiatric distress and was suicidal.
He has been remanded in custody and will reappear in court in May.
