During a recent English inquest, details emerged about the tragic demise of Peter Roebuck, a renowned person. The inquest revealed that Roebuck, feeling utterly hopeless, leapt from a hotel window in Cape Town after facing interrogation regarding an alleged sexual assault. At the time, he was in South Africa to provide commentary on a cricket match between Australia and South Africa.
The jury at Cheshire Coroner’s Court concluded that Roebuck had taken his own life. Known for his past as a player, having captained the English county, Somerset, Roebuck had transitioned into a prominent columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald.
McDonald said: “Seconds later I heard a sound which I now know was Peter Roebuck falling to the first-floor balcony.”
The incident in question involved allegations of sexual assault against a 26-year-old man, whom Roebuck had supposedly met to discuss financial assistance for university. Police had arrived to arrest Roebuck on November 12, following a complaint filed by the student. Detective Aubrey McDonald, the arresting officer, recounted hearing the commotion from his colleague, Lieutenant Cecil Jacobs, while making a phone call outside Roebuck’s hotel room, signalling the tragic turn of events.
Significantly, Peter Roebuck was given a suspended prison term in England in 2001 for common assault, stemming from an incident in 1999 where he disciplined three teenage South African cricketers who had been staying with him. His sister, Dr. Margaret Frostick, informed the Cheshire court that Roebuck had pleaded guilty simply to continue with his work.
A previous inquest in South Africa had also attributed the same cause of death, although none of Roebuck’s family members had attended. However, during the recent proceedings, Frostick and two other relatives were in attendance.
Frostick said: “He was horrified that such false allegations could be laid against him and that he was unable to persist in getting to prove his innocence.”
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