- Former Speaker Peter Slipper is facing charges he misused taxpayer-funded Cabcharge vouchers after a lengthy investigation by the Australian Federal Police.

Only weeks after sexual harassment allegations against him were thrown out by the Federal Court, the one-time Liberal MP is due to face court in Canberra next month.

The AFP said it had served Mr Slipper with a summons in relation to three offences of dishonesty causing a risk of a loss to the Commonwealth.

The alleged offences involve the use of Cabcharge dockets, according the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

If proven, it carries a maximum penalty of five years’ jail.

Mr Slipper, who three weeks ago won a major legal victory after the Federal Court threw out sexual harassment allegations, is due to appear in the Canberra Magistrates Court on February 15th.

Mr Slipper’s former adviser, James Ashby, alleged that he witnessed the former Speaker signing a series of blank Cabcharge dockets during trips to Sydney in early 2012.

Last night, the AFP said it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Mr Ashby was interviewed by the AFP shortly after he filed allegations of sexual harassment against his former boss in April last year.

The AFP spent three months investigating a series of allegations involving Mr Slipper’s use of entitlements before referring matters to the Commonwealth DPP.

In a statement, the DPP said it could confirm that the AFP have sworn on information and summons which alleges three offences against section 135.1 (5) of the Criminal Code (Cth) in relation to allegations concerning the use of Cabcharges by Mr Slipper.

The DPP also said further comment would be inappropriate.

Mr Slipper resigned as Speaker in October after the publication of graphic and lewd text messages, published as part of the sexual harassment case brought by Mr Ashby. The case was dismissed by Justice Steven Rares, who ruled it was part of a campaign to inflict political damage on Mr Slipper.

The Herald Sun understands the Department of Finance, which police parliamentary entitlements, initially referred allegations involving Cabcharge to the AFP. This suggests the matter may not relate to the allegations by Mr Ashby, which involved a Sydney-based hire car driver – Steve Lewis

- The driver of a stolen car shot at several times by police as the vehicle sped at them was arrested last night.

Special Operations Group officers swooped on a 24-year-old Footscray man at a Melton address about 8:10 pm. He was assisting police with their inquiries.

The arrest came after two women, who police said were also highly likely to be in the black Holden Commodore sedan that was involved, attended Sunshine Hospital after the incident.

One of the women had a gunshot wound.

It is alleged two officers in the Footscray divisional van were on patrol when they noticed a reported stolen vehicle and followed it into Chifley Drive, Maribyrnong.

They tried to block the stationary vehicle in the dead-end road at 12:40 am yesterday.

Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp said the driver accelerated quite heavily towards the officers, who feared for their lives and fired several shots.

The man drove between their van and a steep embankment to escape.

Two women then attended hospital, one with a gunshot wound near her knee.

Detectives also believe the same car was involved in a similar incident just half an hour earlier in Laverton.

Two more officers tried to stop the car but were forced to jump out of the way when it accelerated towards them – Jon Kaila

- Friends of a teenager accused of fatally bashing 22-year-old David Cassai on New Year’s Eve tried to restrain him, a court heard yesterday.

Dylan John Closter, 18, allegedly broke free and chased Mr Cassai before delivering a roundhouse-style punch from which the young Templestowe man never recovered.

Mr Closter told police he lashed out after being attacked first, the Melbourne Magistrates Court, which was packed with supporters of the accused, heard.

Homicide Squad Detective Sergeant Sol Soloman said CCTV footage, which captured critical parts of the Rye melee, did not show Mr Closter being assaulted while on the ground, like he told police.

“The footage shows him falling down. It doesn’t show him being kicked or punched,” he said. Mr Closter said he had had a few swigs of Galliano before the incident, but denied allegations he walked away from the unconscious man laughing and said, “That’s what we’re here for,” the court heard.

Mr Closter was bailed yesterday on a $50,000 surety and conditions included a curfew, a ban on associating  with the co-accused and thrice-weekly reporting to police.

Detective Sergeant Soloman said the footage captured the accused assaulting Mr Cassai at least three times, including the final blow to the right side of Mr Cassai’s head.

Throughout the bail application, Mr Closter – a third-year apprentice plumber from Launching Place – kept his head down, sneaking only a few quick glances at those in the courtroom.

Charged with manslaughter, affray and intentionally causing serious injury, he was denied bail last week because of concerns he would collude with a co-accused who was yet to be interviewed. On Friday the 21-year-old Western Australian man was charged with affray and two counts of intentionally causing serious injury.

A 24-year-old Kilsyth man was charged with intentionally causing injury and affray.

Defence lawyer Bernie Balmer said police had charged all relevant parties and Mr Closter should be bailed. Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg said he had no choice but to bail Mr Closter, who is due to reappear in court on April 26th – Emily Portelli

- Indonesia’s police anti-terror squad has killed seven suspected militants in recent days, triggering renewed allegations the force is not trying to take suspects alive – a trend that appears to be fuelling the very extremism the predominantly Muslim country is trying to counter.

Police spokesman Brigadier-General Boy Rafli Amar said yesterday no shots were fired against officers during three related raids on Friday and Saturday in eastern Indonesia, but the suspects in at least one of the locations had explosives ready to be detonated.

He said officers from the anti-terror squad, known as Densus 88, had followed procedures and the suspects were endangering their lives, but he gave few real details.

Haris Azhar, chairman of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, an independent human rights group, said it appeared the suspected militants were victims of extrajudicial killings, and called for an independent investigation.

Densus 88 was established after the 2002 Bali bombings with American and Australian financial and technical assistance, which it still receives.

It has been instrumental in the arrests of hundreds of militants over the past 10 years and is credited with reducing the threat of further attacks on Western interests in the country.

However, small groups of militants have continued to attack police officers and Christians.

Since the squad’s establishment, Densus officers have killed more than 70 suspects. Some Indonesian militants have blown themselves up when police officers have approached them and show a willingness to go down fighting, making apprehending them especially dangerous.

Police figures show militants killed 10 officers in 2012 in incidents around the country. “It is a cycle of violence,” said researcher Taufik Andrie – AP

- Former parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper has been summonsed to face court next month for alleged breaches of federal criminal laws, further destabilising Julia Gillard’s minority government in an election year.

The Australian Federal Police have not confirmed what the summons is about, but it is understood it relates to Mr Slipper’s misuse of travel entitlements and that the alleged offences carry a maximum five-year jail term.

The Queensland MP is due to appear in the Canberra Magistrates Court on February 15th, where he can expect to be formally charged.

The police statement said it was in relation to three offences of dishonesty causing a risk of loss to the Commonwealth.

If a federal MP is found guilty of a criminal offence that carries a jail term of one year or more, they are disqualified from Parliament.

This could place the government’s slim majority under pressure on contentious pieces of legislation , but would not likely see it fall.

Labor currently has 76 votes to the Coalition’s 74 (if Greens Adam Bandt, independents Craig Thomson, Andrew Wilkie, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor are counted with Labor and Bob Katter, Tony Crook and Peter Slipper are counted with the Opposition).

The crime carries a penalty of a maximum five years in prison. However, Fairfax Media understands that even if found guilty Mr Slipper is very unlikely to face the maximum penalty. It is also unlikely the case would be resolved before next federal election.

On Monday, a government source played sown the news of the summons, saying the offences mentioned by the AFP did not relate to Mr Ashby’s claims.

It is understood they relate to three Comcar trips in 2010 amounting to about $900, in which Mr Slipper – who was then a Coalition MP – travelled beyond the allowed Canberra region.

Mr Slipper stood aside as Speaker last April following accusations by his staffer James Ashby that he had misused taxi dockets, as well as separate claims  he had sexually harassed Mr Ashby.

At the time, Mr Slipper said that the so-called criminal allegation of Cabcharge rorts was a complete fabrication.

In May, Mr Ashby dropped the travel rorts claims to avoid any delay in the court’s consideration of his civil claim of sexual harassment and discrimination.

But by then, the AFP had launched an investigation into Mr Slipper’s travel use, referring material from the matter to the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions in July.

A spokesman for Attorney-General Nicola Roxon on Monday said Mr Slipper was entitled to the presumption of innocence, and prejudicial comment had to be avoided to ensure he got a fair trial.

Last month, the Federal Court threw out Mr Ashby’s sexual harassment claim. In a scathing judgement, Justice Steve Rares found that the case was an abuse of process.

Fairfax Media has contacted Mr Slipper and the Coalition for comment – Judith Ireland, Jonathan Swan & Bianca Hall

- It was one thing for trainees at the elite military police bodyguard unit to miss two fake bombs hidden in a car’s glove-box during an exercise.

It was quite another thing that the car, rented from Hertz, was returned to the hire firm’s Sydney Airport office with the mock improvised explosive devices (IEDs) still inside.

The blunder, outlined in an investigation report obtained under freedom of information, sparked a major bomb scare and a partial shutdown of the domestic airport car park that lasted several hours on July 4th.

In the end it fell to Hertz cleaners to find the devices nearly a fortnight after the car was returned to the airport.

Although the devices were inert and posed no threat to the safety of the public, they looked real enough to Hertz staff. The car rental firm called the police due to the realistic nature of the two devices, the report by the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service states.

Bomb disposal experts from the Australian Federal Police spent several hours examining the fake IEDs, a favoured weapon of insurgents in countries such as Afghanistan.

Hertz checked their records and found one car was one of several vehicles hired for 6 1/2 weeks by the Defence Police Training Centre at Sydney’s Holsworthy Barracks.

An officer from the centre confirmed the devices were used in exercises for students training to become close personal protection operatives, or CPPOs.

CPPOs are elite bodyguards assigned to protect senior defence personnel and politicians when they travel to dangerous countries such as Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Commander Robert Dokter, executive officer of the training centre, told investigators the devices had been hidden inside the vehicle as part of a training activity…but they had not been discovered.

The officer who rented the cars had gone on holidays by the time the students finished the exercise, the report states – David Wroe

- A teenager charged with the manslaughter of David Cassai after a brawl in Rye on New Year’s Eve has been granted bail.

Dylan Closter, 18, made his second application for bail in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

He was refused bail last week, with Magistrate Kay Robertson agreeing with police there was a risk of interfering with a witness, who at that stage had not been interviewed.

The witness has now been interviewed by police and has also been charged over the brawl. Closter was released on a $50,000 surety.

His lawyer, Bernie Balmer, said hos client had no prior convictions and was employed full time as an apprentice plumber.

Mr Balmer said Closter had told police he had at one point on the night been kicked and punched while on all fours.

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Sol Soloman told the court he had not seen evidence of this in CCTV footage taken from two different cameras on the night. He said the risk that Closter would flee on bail would be alleviated if a range of conditions were imposed.

Closter must live with his father in Launching Place between 10 pm and 4 am, unless in his father or boss’s company. He must report to police three times a week and must not leave Victoria, or contact or associate with witnesses involved in the case other than the police informant.

At an out-of-sessions hearing at Victoria Police’s St Kilda Road complex last Thursday, Closter, from Millgrove, was charged with manslaughter and intentionally causing affray.

David Cassai was staying with friends at his parents’ holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula when, about 1 am on New Year’s Eve, he and five friends were involved in an altercation with another five men outside a pizza shop in Rye.

He was allegedly punched, fell and struck his head on the footpath. He died at The Alfred Hospital about 4 pm that day.

Senior Sergeant Soloman said he interviewed Closter and saw CCTV footage of the incident.

He said a group of six men were at a park next to the Rye Pier on New Year’s Eve when Closter said he needed to use an ATM across the road at a shopping strip. Another group of men, including Mr Cassai, had just finished dinner and were walking home to Rosebud when the first group came across them. “Exactly what caused the interaction is still the subject of our investigation,” Senior Sergeant Soloman said.

“As a result of a verbal engagement it’s alleged the accused bumped one of the boys with his shoulder, which then escalated…to a fight situation.”

He said the CCTV footage showed Closter assaulting Mr Cassai three times and he appears to be focusing his aggression on Mr Cassai alone”.

He said that eventually Closter throws a roundhouse-style punch which connects with the right side of his head. Mr Cassai falls backward, his head hits the pavement and he lies completely still.

Closter told Senior Sergeant Soloman he had taken two or three swigs of a bottle of Galliano with his friends before he said he need to use the ATM.

“He saw a man from the other group remove a street sign…and words were exchanged,” Senior Sergeant Soloman said.

“Closter then says he was assaulted by a number of persons (with Mr Cassai). He was knocked to the ground , saw someone in front of him and instinctively lashed out at that person, who fell to the ground” – Jane Lee

- A 24-year-old Footscray man has been arrested after a police shooting early on Monday morning in which two officers shot at a stolen car that was speeding towards them.

The drama occurred at 12:40 am in Maribyrnong, in the inner west, after two Footscray officers checked the vehicle registration because it was driving down Chifley Drive, a dead-end road.

Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp said police had shot a number of rounds at the vehicle as it drove towards them.

A short time later, two women arrived at the Western Hospital, one with a gunshot wound to her leg. The man driving the car remained at large.

At 8:10 am on Monday, Special Operations Group members arrested a man at a Melton address in Melbourne’s west. he is helping police with their inquiries – Bridie Smith

- Detectives are sifting through missing persons files after the discovery of a man’s head by a holiday-maker on Rottnest Island, off Perth.

Porpoise Bay, on the south-east of the island, remained closed after the head, double-wrapped in a plastic bag, was found by a family on the beach on Sunday.

An 11-year-old girl is believed to have made the horrific discovery when she opened the plastic bag and saw a human ear.

Police on Monday confirmed the severed head belonged to a Caucasian male, aged between 30 and 50. The man’s front teeth were missing, with police saying they appear to have been removed before his death.

Police are treating the investigation as a murder probe – The Age

- The two men charged with the murder of 14-year-old Timothy O’Brien will remain behind bars for at least six months before they appear in court again.

Joel Henderson, 39, of Wendouree and Darren Wilson, 35, of Ballarat, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday.

Both are charged with one count of murder, following the death of Scarsdale teenager at 5 am on Saturday morning.

They appeared in the packed court, where Magistrate Peter Couzens remanded them until a committal mention on June 20th.

Wilson’s bald head was heavily bandaged. He was wearing a black T-shirt while Henderson sat bare-footed in a blue forensic suit.

Lawyers for the pair argued that both required medical attention due to head injuries they had sustained, while the court also heard Henderson was at risk of self-harm.

Prosecutors requested an extension to the usual period before a committal mention, due to the complexity of the case and the need to conduct further interviews and gather more evidence.

The officer leading the investigation into the alleged murder has urged people to stop posting derogatory comments about the accused on social media sites.

A RIP Timmy Facebook page set up for people to pass on their respects has attracted almost 2000 “likes”. Homicide Squad Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Sol Soloman urged people to resist temptation and only post messages of support and condolences – Pat Nolan

- A gunman was on the run in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday night after an armed robbery in Croydon.

Police were hunting the man, who is believed to have robbed a gaming venue with a partner on Dorset Road about 10 am on Tuesday.

The pair, who were both armed and wearing disguises, stole cash and were leaving the Dorset Gardens venue when police arrived.

Police recovered a firearm on Mt Dandenong Road about 3:15 pm on Tuesday. It is believed the weapon may be linked to the armed robbery. Earlier, a car chase started and one of the offenders pointed a firearm at police while they were being pursued.

The offenders stopped their car and were chased on foot by police, who were again threatened with a firearm. One man was then arrested while the other fled.

A resident confronted the man with a baseball bat after he scaled his fence, but police could not confirm any other sightings.

No shots had been fired and the police and gaming venue patrons were unharmed.

Heavily armed police from the Special Operations Group and the Critical Incident Response Team were involved in the manhunt. Superintendent Graeme Arthur said police were going door-to-door in the area, and he was confident a cordon was established quickly enough to have trapped the man, who was wearing a white hooded top and black tracksuit pants.

Police are analysing the gaming venue, the getaway car and the dumped clothing of one of the offenders. It is unclear how much cash was stolen or whether the man, described as extremely dangerous, was still armed.

Superintendent Arthur said the arrested man was 20-years-old, but could not confirm the suburb he was from or whether he had told police the identity of his accomplice – Jared Lynch & Nino Bucci

- The bodies of an elderly couple have been found at an Indented Head house, in what police believe was a murder-suicide.

Police arrived at the Brett Drive house at 1:45 pm on Tuesday to conduct a welfare check before finding the elderly man and woman inside.

The couple’s next of kin have been notified, although the two are yet to be formally identified. Geelong Criminal Investigation Unit will investigate and prepare a report for the coroner – Bridie Smith

- Former Speaker Peter Slipper sought to conceal $1200 in luxury hire car trips to Canberra wineries by dishonesty adjusting Cabcharge vouchers, the Australian Federal Police has alleged.

Documents filed in the ACT Magistrates Court show the AFP will allege Mr Slipper signed multiple Cabcharge dockets in 2010 despite knowing he was not entitled to use his parliamentary entitlements to visit the wineries.

Over three dates in January, April and June, the Queensland MP allegedly used taxpayer -funded hire cars to visit some of the national capital’s best wineries and restaurants.

The man who stood from Parliament’s highest office last October, after graphic text messages were published, faces the possibility of a jail sentence. The alleged offences carry a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

Canberra Hire Cars was used by Mr Slipper on two of the three days cited by the AFP in its nine-page filing with the court.

According to court documents, the MP allegedly visited some of Canberra’s best-known wineries including Doonkunna, Jeir Creek, Yass Valley Wines and Shaw Estate on January 20th, 2010, but deliberately did not fill in the actual fare of $337.

Three weeks ago the former Speaker secured a victory when allegations of sexual harassment were thrown out in the Federal Court.

Mr Slipper is expected to be charged by the AFP at a court hearing on February 15th with dishonesty (causing) a risk of loss to…a Commonwealth entity – Steve Lewis & Patrick Lion

- Police were last night continuing a manhunt for a dangerous armed robber who menaced them with a gun as he fled.

Police say the extremely dangerous man and an accomplice robbed the gaming venue at the Dorset Gardens Hotel in Croydon about 9:45 am yesterday before fleeing in a car.

Pursuing police were threatened with a gun during a car chase, which ended when the getaway car was dumped and the bandits fled on foot.

The gunman pointed his weapon at police a second time as he fled.

A resident said a man dressed in black and wearing a balaclava had crashed his vehicle in Balcombe Court, Croydon, before climbing over a backyard fence.

He was confronted by a neighbour who fled inside after seeing the man’s gun.

He said the road backed onto a large wooded area through which the man may have escaped.

Heavily armed Special Operations Group officers mounted a house to house search. Police found an abandoned gun and were continuing their manhunt.

The suspect is 165 cm and wore a white hooded top and black parachute pants.

A second man, 20, has been arrested – Jon Kaila

- A brave woman has fought off a brazen sex fiend who tried to abduct her from a popular jogging track in Melbourne’s north-east.

Sam, not her real name, was jogging along Darebin Creek’s bike path just 200m from her Mill Park home on December 30th when the man grabbed her from behind.

The man, who has attacked seven women between December 30th and January 4th, let go when Sam struck him in the groin and pushed him away.

The fit 30-year-old said there was no way she was going to allow herself to be abducted.

Detective Sergeant Brett Meadows said police were worried the next victim might not be so lucky.

The seven incidents have involved five women aged between 25-30 and two teenagers out walking or jogging.

The man is described as about 170 cm, thin, olive-skinned and about 30. He was wearing a full-face motorbike helmet and riding a small motorbike, possibly with some green colouring – Wayne Flower

- Police are searching for a group wanted over a brutal attack at a train station in Melbourne’s south-east early on New Year’s Day.

Two men and a woman believed to have assaulted a 33-year-old man after he left a train at Moorabbin Station about 1 am on January 1st.

Detectives from the Transit Crime Investigation Unit said the trio followed the victim from the train and along the ramp off the platforms.

The men then bashed him in the head and upper body while the  woman looked on, police said.

The attackers stopped and allowed the man to leave the station. But his relief was short-lived.

The trio continued to follow him and bashed him again on Station Street before returning to the station to catch a train to Chelsea, police said.

Detective Senior Constable Scott Richards, of the Transit Crime Investigation Unit, said the bashing was captured on security cameras at the train station.

He believed an argument earlier in the morning had sparked the assault.

Senior Constable Richards said the trio delayed the train’s departure at Flinders Street by holding the doors open.

The victim then spoke to the group, which accused him of pushing the woman.

The police officer said the assault was distressing, considering the attackers followed the victim off the train and returned to the station to catch another train.

The trio delayed another train at Chelsea about 1:45 am, again by holding open the doors.

Police are appealing for witnesses and have released the security footage of three people with whom they want to speak.

Each of the members of the group is described as white, and all are believed to be aged in their early 20s.

One of the men is of medium build, with short blond or brown hair and was wearing a white collared shirt, blue jeans and white shoes.

The second man is described as thin, with brown messy hair. At the time, he was wearing a black suit, a black T-shirt and black shoes.

The woman is of medium build with long brown hair. She was wearing a pink singlet, a blue skirt and purple thongs, and was carrying a large handbag – Jared Lynch & Adrian Lowe

- Desperate 911 calls from victims of the Colorado cinema massacre were played to a court as it emerged the suspected gunman had also rigged his apartment with improvised napalm.

In a harrowing four-minute plea Kaylan Bailey, a 13-year-old girl, said two of her cousins were shot and bleeding, and that one of them is not breathing. With screaming in the background she repeatedly said, “I can’t hear you,” as the operator tried to instruct her on chest compressions.

The cousins were six-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan, the youngest person to die in the massacre, and Veronica’s mother Ashley Moser, who was shot three times and partially paralysed. Veronica was hit four times.

In all, 41 emergency calls were made by audience members. In the first, Kevin Quinonez, who survived, was drowned out by gunfire. More than 30 shots were heard as the operator tried to establish where the incident was taking place.

James Holmes, 25, is accused of killing 12 people and injuring 58 during a midnight screening of the Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises”, at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20th last year. he listened impassively on Tuesday as the calls were played at the Arapahoe County Justice Centre, 16 kilometres away.

FBI bomb technician Garrett Gumbinner then told the court improvised napalm concocted from styrofoam cups and petrol had been placed in large jars packed with live ammunition in his apartment. Outside his door he had positioned a stereo in a rubbish bag, timed to play loud music 40 minutes after he left. On top of the bag was a remote control toy car rigged to set off the explosives in the flat when someone picked it up.

Steve Beggs, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, said the suspect had bought 3370 .223 calibre rounds for his AR-15 assault rifle, 2600 for a .40 calibre pistol, and 325 rounds for a shotgun.

Tamara Brady, defending, asked: “Are there any processes in Colorado to screen out whether a severely mentally ill person is purchasing these items?” The agent replied: “No”.

The question implied the defence may be considering a plea of insanity – Nick Allen

- No matter how many precautions we take, Australia’s bushfire fears become a reality year in year out.

While acts of nature are out of our control, it is a devastating fact that many fires are avoidable.

Fires can be responsible for mass loss of life and assets, yet authorities are at a major disadvantage in dealing with them like no other threat they face.

For the causes of fire are many. Nature aside, misjudgment or even stupidity is often to blame.

Like those who use machinery on total fire ban days, such as welding or grinding metal near a fuel source, or others who drive their car through long dry grass.

Or campers not properly extinguishing camp fires.

There are sometimes controlled back-burning operations conducted by state authorities that end up out of control.

They are the ones with the skills and knowledge to conduct such preventative back-burns, and even they can occasionally get it wrong – simply because of the unpredictable nature of the beast.

And then there is the arsonist.

Arsonists are suspected of setting the scrub fires in Melbourne’s north-west that yesterday threatened several homes and an aged-care centre.

Sometimes arsonists are just mischievous children too young to understand the consequences of their actions, or people suffering a mental impairment who don’t appreciate the nature of their crime.

But most frightening is the gratification arsonist.

A person will light a fire and then go and watch it burn, admiring their work and watching firefighters scurry to put out the flames.

There have been instances where a person has set a fire, then raised the alarm or broken into a house to save anyone inside, so they can then be identified as a hero.

Unfortunately, we have seen volunteer firefighters lighting blazes themselves so they can go out and fight them.

For both law enforcement and the community, the only way to tackle this type of offender is vigilance.

Awareness and alertness of the community at large are crucial. Report suspicious activity: anyone you might see behaving strangely in bushland, or leaving a bush area on high fire risk days.

Noting a car’s registration number or the make of a vehicle, or jotting down a description of the person could provide a vital clue at a later stage.

Don’t feel silly, the police would always rather have such a report in the first instance so it can be investigated than to be chasing it up after a tragedy.

Recent developments include contemporary profiles being drawn up of potential arsonists. Those who fit the profiles or are known arsonists can be overtly or covertly targeting during high-risk fire days.

More sharing of information between state police forces about potential and known arsonists would be useful. It would be naive to suggest that arsonists don’t travel.

The offences faced by people identified as being responsible for a fire include arson causing death (which carries 25 years imprisonment), and intentionally or recklessly causing a bushfire, which carries up to 15 years imprisonment.

Strong penalties must be enforced by our justice system, to not only reflect the community’s denunciation of these crimes but to protect our community and act as a deterrent to others.

Our response generally to bushfires has changed a lot since Ash Wednesday.

It is gratifying to see that one of the main criticisms of not keeping the community appraised of fire situations is at least being addressed, through better efforts at communication flow.

The community cannot be expected to know the overall fire situation in any given area, and it is up to the authorities to advise them.

Who is to say whether Black Saturday would have eventuated had authorities heeded earlier lessons? But there has clearly been a significant investment in ensuring that another day like that never occurs again.

Already this fire season, it appears people have heeded lessons from 2009 by having a plan and leaving earlier rather than staying to fight fires with a garden hose. And partnerships between the combat authorities – police, CFA, MFB and the Department of Sustainability and Environment have strengthened.

The Arson and Explosives Squad now has a number of specialist investigators that are supported by analytical and behavioural analysts.

This is further supported by the hundreds of State Liaison Officers, who are specifically trained in arson prevention and detection.

They look at the various geographical areas that may be linked by patterns and trends.

Victoria can boast that it has one of the most renowned arson chemists around attached to the Victorian Forensic Science Centre.

Fires don’t just take lives and homes. They impact on the environment, wildlife, stock, structures, fences, infrastructure, and the local economy.

They affect all of us in some way, and that’s why we must all do what we can to protect ourselves and each other – Charlie Bezzina

- A special investigative team to probe cases of child sexual abuse may be set up under the Federal Government’s royal commission.

Full details of the inquiry, including the terms of the reference and the identity of the commissioners, will be revealed today.

The commission will focus on systemic failures in how organisations and institutions have responded to child sexual abuse.

The Herald Sun understands the terms of reference will ask commissioners to establish a process for the timely referral of individual cases to police, so authorities can investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute as soon as possible.

Royal commissions do not have the power to prosecute individuals.

But the terms of reference are understood to give the commissioners the power to set up a special investigative unit to help probe past cases. The unit would work closely with local police forces to advance investigations and, where appropriate, prosecutions.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Attorney-General Nicola Roxon and Families Minister Jenny Macklin will announce details of the inquiry in Sydney today.

The Government has previously said it would look at all church groups, schools and public entities, as well as private, not-for-profit and community groups.

But the Government has been under pressure over the terms of reference, which were originally due to have been announced last month.

There have been fears that many claims of abuse could lead the inquiry process to become unwieldy.

Child support groups have stressed the importance of getting the terms of reference right the first time.

More than 800 submissions have been received since Ms Gillard announced the inquiry in November.

That announcement followed claims by a NSW police detective , Chief Inspector Peter Fox, that in relation to child abuse investigations the Catholic Church had hindered police, destroying evidence, and moved offending priests.

The Federal Government has indicated it wants three to five commissioners.

It has already announced that the commission will be required to complete its initial interim report – including recommendations on matters such as when its final report will be delivered – within 18 months – Patrick Lion

- A third man is being investigated by police for alleged involvement in the killing of autistic teenager Timmy O’Brien.

Detectives have been told the man allegedly held down Peter Williams to stop him coming to the aid of his 14-year-old stepson Timmy.

Darren Wilson, 32, and Joel Henderson, 39, have each been charged with one count of murder.

Victoria Police confirmed to the Herald Sun its investigation was continuing, but added it was not actively looking for other people.

It is believed that homicide detectives know the identity of the man.

The news comes as family and friends gathered in Ballarat yesterday to lay Timmy to rest.

More than 200 mourners, many dressed in Collingwood colours, paid tribute to the youngster, who died last Saturday.

Family spoke at the Pat Cashin Funeral Parlour of his unique personality, cheeky smile and love of sport.

Stepfather Peter Williams said Timmy was his little shadow in the backyard and loved tending the veggie patch.

Ballarat Specialist School teacher Ben spoke of a caring student who loved everyone he met.

Ballarat Mayor John Burt said at the funeral he could not explain why Timmy was taken so young.

He said Timmy’s death would affect the entire city of Ballarat.

Timmy was buried at Ballarat Cemetery and mourners released black and white balloons beside the grave.

Police allege Timmy died after being struck with a blunt object after his stepfather had gone to the aid of two girls who felt threatened at a property in Scarsdale – Jon Kaila and Alex White