Cricket Australia sends psychologist to help Clark deal with his personal crisis

Wellington, Mar. 17 (ANI): In order to help Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke cope with the blinding media spotlight following his break up from fiancée Lara Bingle, Cricket Australia has flown a psychologist to Wellington where the team is preparing for the first Test against New Zealand.

Ross Chapman’s arrival to Wellington coincides with the end of Clarke’s 10-day silence over the allrounder’s personal crisis.

“Great to be back with the boys. Just home from a big training session. Thanks to all my followers for your support,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Clarke, as saying on his Twitter page.

One CA official last night said Chapman”s arrival in New Zealand had been planned prior to Clarke”s split with Bingle, but there is no doubting his brief has changed dramatically in the wake of the past week”s media circus.

As Clarke joined teammates for his first training session since his return to the tour, every player, plus coach Tim Nielsen and Chapman, attended an extended team meeting on Tuesday.

Clarke had become a virtual prisoner in his hotel room until security removed Australian TV crews camped in the foyer.

When a throng of TV cameramen and photographers positioned themselves near the players” race to get footage of him entering the field, he appeared through a back gate, grinning broadly.

He struck the ball firmly in the nets before leaving, again without saying a word. (ANI)

Brother of ‘Australian Fritzl’ incest victim died ‘suspiciously’

Melbourne, September 19 (ANI): A brother of the woman allegedly held as a sex slave for 30 years by her Australian father died ‘in suspicious circumstances’, according to new claims.

The shock horror case, made public by the Herald Sun, involved a man accused of fathering four children with his daughter, whom he held as a virtual prisoner, raping her almost daily from when she was 11 years old.

A brother of the alleged victim said the family had their suspicions over the drowning of their brother at a suburban Melbourne beach more than 30 years ago, the Australian newspaper reported.

The woman also apparently told friends that she thought her sibling died under mysterious circumstances.

“I don’t like talking about it because I can still remember him,” News.com.au quoted her brother as saying.

“I wish he grew up, but let’s just say there were a lot of suspicious things about it. It was a long time ago, I don’t know what the police think about it,” he added.

Police decline to say if the death would be investigated.

A spokeswoman said: “Due to the amount of information provided, our avenues of inquiries are limited and we are unable to establish confirmation of the allegations.”

She added: “Due to the current suppression order in existence it would be inappropriate to provide any information surrounding this.” (ANI)

Now, ‘Australian Fritzl’ who raped daughter, fathered four kids emerges

Melbourne, September 17 (ANI): Lisa Neville, Australian Community Services Minister, has come under fire after huge number of bungling in the child protection services emerged, including a sex horror case of a man accused of fathering four children with his daughter.

Neville is expected to be faced with calls to resign after revelations of failed attempts by Victoria’s Department of Human Services (DHS) to conduct proper background checks on a known sexual predator before letting a child into his care.

The accused is said to have caged his daughter as a virtual prisoner, raping her almost daily from when she was 11 years old, reports the Herald Sun.

All the four kids bore by the woman, who is now under the care of authorities in a safe house, had health problems when delivered in major hospitals in Melbourne. One of the kids died soon after birth.

Their birth certificates do not hold the name of their fathers, prompting alarms as to why questions were not asked at the time.

The man denied the allegations, but was charged after DNA tests allegedly proved he was the father of her children. He is due to appear in court in November.

Comparisons have been drawn between the case and that of Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who held his daughter as a sex slave for 24 years and fathered seven children with her.

Minister Lisa Neville told ABC Radio: “I was extremely appalled to see the allegations.”

“They are only allegations and are before the courts at the moment and we need to be very careful about how much detail we go into,” Neville said.

“I became aware of this from the media today and I don’t know what, or if, (there has been) any involvement of the police, the department or other agencies … over the past 30 years.

“This will be a priority to look into,” she added. (ANI)