A man has been charged with murder following the death of a young girl who was allegedly thrown from a 58-metre high section of the West Gate Bridge into the Yarra River.
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- Little girl thrown from West Gate
- Man arrested, begs for help
- Murder charge after girl dies
The 36-year-old man, from Melbourne's eastern suburbs, will face Melbourne Magistrates Court this afternoon on a single count of murder, police said.
The four-year-old girl died at 1.35 this afternoon in the Royal Children's Hospital, where she was flown after being rescued from the river beneath the bridge about 9.15am.
Homicide squad Detective Inspector Steve Clark said the alleged murder occurred at 9.10am - peak travel time - on the city-bound side of the bridge, close to the top.
It took place so quickly "no-one had the opportunity to intervene''.
"He's got straight out of the car and taken the young girl and walked to the edge of the bridge, so that would have happened in a matter of seconds," Detective Inspector Clark said.
"Fortunately, the water police were here within 10 minutes so she was given medical attention fairly quickly.
'Dreadful'
"It's a dreadful set of circumstances and often you think you've seen it all and you haven't.''
A man believed to be the father of the girl was arrested outside the Commonwealth Law Courts building at the corner of La Trobe and William streets about 10.30am.
