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Peter Roebuck dies
- Thread starter Burgey
- Start date
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Do you have a link for that?
Briony
International Debutant
I think you'll find they're all university age. He's often spoken freely of this on air on the ABC. He even called one his 'son', once wishing him a happy birthday.
benchmark00
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Yeah, was reading an article earlier which quoted a couple of them. One saying that Roebuck was a Dad to him.
four_or_six
Cricketer Of The Year
Police quizzed cricket writer Peter Roebuck about man before his death | Herald Sun
Appears to be one of the more up-to-date and reputable articles going around.
Appears to be one of the more up-to-date and reputable articles going around.
four_or_six
Cricketer Of The Year
Looks like a tragic story either way. Either he was guilty, which is awful, or he was wrongly accused, which is also awful.
four_or_six
Cricketer Of The Year
Peter Roebuck ... a tribute from his first African son
An interesting article by one of the young Zimbabwean men he sponsored.
An interesting article by one of the young Zimbabwean men he sponsored.
NasserFan207
International Vice-Captain
Looks like he'd been in the closet. Sad death in any case, and a loss to cricket journalism, RIP.
SeamUp
International Coach
Another article:
Peter Roebuck 'faced ***ual assault charge' | Sport | The Guardian
South African police were poised to arrest cricket commentator before he jumped from 6th floor window, says former colleague
South African police were about to arrest the cricket commentator Peter Roebuck on a charge of ***ual assault when he apparently jumped from a hotel window, according to a close friend who was with him just before he died.
Jim Maxwell, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's main commentator, told the Guardian he left Roebuck's Cape Town room "less than a minute" before the 55-year-old former Somerset captain apparently leapt to his death on Saturday.
"He was in a state of utter despair – apoplectic," said Maxwell. "He was sitting in a chair near the window. It takes just five seconds to open that window. Given his emotional state he must have suffered a brain explosion and out he went."
South African police refused to confirm that an officer was with Roebuck when he leapt from the 6th floor of the Southern Sun hotel, near Newlands cricket ground. Oxford-born Roebuck was staying at the hotel while covering Australia's Test series for Australian media.
Police spokesman Colonel Vishnu Naidoo said: "We have opened an inquest docket to determine the cause of death. We will interview everyone who can shed light on the buildup to what happened on Saturday night. There is no evidence of foul play."
Naidoo refused to comment on reports in South Africa's New Age newspaper that a 26-year-old Zimbabwean man had gone to nearby Claremont police station earlier on Saturday and laid charges of indecent assault against Roebuck. According to the report, the man told police he had met Roebuck after the broadcaster arrived in Cape Town on 7 November to discuss a university sponsorship, but instead was subjected to an attempted ***ual assault.
Maxwell said Roebuck had called him to his room on Saturday at about 9pm. "There were two officers there. They were going to arrest him on a charge of ***ual assault. He was very emotional. I asked whether he wanted me to call Fairfax, his employer. He said 'No, they will know soon enough' or something like that. He wanted a lawyer. And he wanted me to find a way of contacting friends who were planning to greet him at the airport."
Maxwell, who left the Newlands hotel on Monday morning with other journalists covering the Test, said he had known Roebuck for more than 30 years. In 2001, he appeared as a character witness for Roebuck when he received a suspended sentence for assault after beating three 19-year-old cricketers across their bare buttocks. The South African teenagers had been invited to stay at his former home in Taunton, Somerset, for coaching in the late 1990s.
"We all have our demons," said Maxwell. "People will make assumptions about Peter because of that sentence 10 years ago. But as far as I know nothing untoward ever happened with all the young people Peter supported."He spent thousands of dollars of his own money helping people and supporting cricket. He was a philanthropist," said Maxwell.Sebastian Berinato, general manager of the four-star Southern Sun Newlands, confirmed that Roebuck fell from his window and died instantly after landing on a ledge above the reception area. Staff at the hotel were to receive trauma counselling, he said.
Roebuck captained Somerset and opened the batting for much of the 1980s. He passed 1,000 runs nine times in 12 seasons. After retiring from cricket, he had established a media career in Australia. He also had a home in South Africa, near Pietermaritzburg.
He had spent the hours before his death with members of the Australian cricket team, who were beaten by South Africa by eight wickets in the first Test on Friday.
Peter Roebuck 'faced ***ual assault charge' | Sport | The Guardian
South African police were poised to arrest cricket commentator before he jumped from 6th floor window, says former colleague
South African police were about to arrest the cricket commentator Peter Roebuck on a charge of ***ual assault when he apparently jumped from a hotel window, according to a close friend who was with him just before he died.
Jim Maxwell, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's main commentator, told the Guardian he left Roebuck's Cape Town room "less than a minute" before the 55-year-old former Somerset captain apparently leapt to his death on Saturday.
"He was in a state of utter despair – apoplectic," said Maxwell. "He was sitting in a chair near the window. It takes just five seconds to open that window. Given his emotional state he must have suffered a brain explosion and out he went."
South African police refused to confirm that an officer was with Roebuck when he leapt from the 6th floor of the Southern Sun hotel, near Newlands cricket ground. Oxford-born Roebuck was staying at the hotel while covering Australia's Test series for Australian media.
Police spokesman Colonel Vishnu Naidoo said: "We have opened an inquest docket to determine the cause of death. We will interview everyone who can shed light on the buildup to what happened on Saturday night. There is no evidence of foul play."
Naidoo refused to comment on reports in South Africa's New Age newspaper that a 26-year-old Zimbabwean man had gone to nearby Claremont police station earlier on Saturday and laid charges of indecent assault against Roebuck. According to the report, the man told police he had met Roebuck after the broadcaster arrived in Cape Town on 7 November to discuss a university sponsorship, but instead was subjected to an attempted ***ual assault.
Maxwell said Roebuck had called him to his room on Saturday at about 9pm. "There were two officers there. They were going to arrest him on a charge of ***ual assault. He was very emotional. I asked whether he wanted me to call Fairfax, his employer. He said 'No, they will know soon enough' or something like that. He wanted a lawyer. And he wanted me to find a way of contacting friends who were planning to greet him at the airport."
Maxwell, who left the Newlands hotel on Monday morning with other journalists covering the Test, said he had known Roebuck for more than 30 years. In 2001, he appeared as a character witness for Roebuck when he received a suspended sentence for assault after beating three 19-year-old cricketers across their bare buttocks. The South African teenagers had been invited to stay at his former home in Taunton, Somerset, for coaching in the late 1990s.
"We all have our demons," said Maxwell. "People will make assumptions about Peter because of that sentence 10 years ago. But as far as I know nothing untoward ever happened with all the young people Peter supported."He spent thousands of dollars of his own money helping people and supporting cricket. He was a philanthropist," said Maxwell.Sebastian Berinato, general manager of the four-star Southern Sun Newlands, confirmed that Roebuck fell from his window and died instantly after landing on a ledge above the reception area. Staff at the hotel were to receive trauma counselling, he said.
Roebuck captained Somerset and opened the batting for much of the 1980s. He passed 1,000 runs nine times in 12 seasons. After retiring from cricket, he had established a media career in Australia. He also had a home in South Africa, near Pietermaritzburg.
He had spent the hours before his death with members of the Australian cricket team, who were beaten by South Africa by eight wickets in the first Test on Friday.
Ausage
Cricketer Of The Year
I'm not sure why some are coming to the conclusion that he was a pedophile. For some homosexuality is seen as a source of shame that they live with their entire lives. If Roebuck was someone who hadn't come to grips with his ***uality himself the prospect of his family finding out might not have been something he was able to face.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Guys.. lets not get ahead of ourselves here. Let the facts emerge. Right now, lets juz pray the poor guy's soul can rest in peace.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
I'm inclined to agree with Ausage, actually. I think it was an open secret amongst the cricketing fraternity that Roebuck was gay and the judge in his trial for common assault said that spanking the young South Africans seemed to satisfy some need in him, but it's still a leap to make him a pederast.
I suspect he was attracted to younger men (if I was a betting man I'd wager that all of the students he supported in Zimbabwe and RSA were male), but then lots of men of his age are attracted to younger persons, it's just the majority of them are straight.
It's only a guess inferred from what's been reported and alluded to, but it could well be that Roebuck's tragedy is that he could never accept his own ***uality and I suspect many gay men of his generation have similar agonies; it's worth remembering that homosexuality was still technically illegal for the first dozen or so years of his life.
I suspect he was attracted to younger men (if I was a betting man I'd wager that all of the students he supported in Zimbabwe and RSA were male), but then lots of men of his age are attracted to younger persons, it's just the majority of them are straight.
It's only a guess inferred from what's been reported and alluded to, but it could well be that Roebuck's tragedy is that he could never accept his own ***uality and I suspect many gay men of his generation have similar agonies; it's worth remembering that homosexuality was still technically illegal for the first dozen or so years of his life.
Top_Cat
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'He was absolutely on edge': Peter Roebuck's final hour | News.com.au
Uh oh.
So he'd have been told he was under arrest and the copper then let the obviously disturbed Roebuck leave his sight.
Uh oh.
Burgey
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If Jim Maxwell was asked to leave the room by the Police, that would mean in NSW Roebuck was in custody because unless he is, they can't compel someone to leave the room. The Police would have a death in custody on their hands.
Very bad look this.
Very bad look this.
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Quaggas
State Captain
South African Police have a very long history of this kind of event.
Edit: See John Vorster Square
Edit2: Of course, I'm being facetious here.
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