Latest news with #60MinutesAustralia
Daily Mirror
09-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Serial rapist claimed he'd killed girl, 14, but reality was even more harrowing
A serial killer and rapist confessed to the murder of a missing 14 year old schoolgirl but when the bizarre truth emerged years later, the public were even more outraged In August 1998 Natasha Ryan was dropped off at school by her mum Jenny as usual. When she failed to return home afterwards, a huge police and community search was launched to try and find the 14 year old. A number of other girls had gone missing in the area of Queensland, Australia and it was feared there was a serial killer at large. Although the troubled teen had run away before, because the hunt found no trace of her, it was presumed she was a victim of the murderer. In April 1999 rapist Leonard John Fraser, 58 was arrested and charged with several murders, including that of Natasha's. It comes as a dad was jailed after a boy, 7, was found dead inside washing machine. Man brutally killed woman on first date and left her body parts around town Fraser had previously spent 20 years in prison and the pony tails of some of his victims were discovered in his house. He confessed to strangling Natasha and burying her body. However things took a bizarre turn during his 2003 trial when the courtroom was told Natasha had been found alive and well. Police had received a tip off to search the home of her boyfriend, Scott Black. It was there that Natasha was found hiding in a cupboard of the Rockhampton house, which was just a mile and a half away from her childhood home - four years after she vanished. It transpired that Natasha had been banned from seeing her boyfriend, who was seven years older than her, so she ran away to live with the milkman in a house 45 minutes away before they moved even closer to her mum's house. She would later tell TV show 60 Minutes Australia that she wasn't held against her will but would rarely leave the house. Instead she would spend her days sewing, watching TV, working out or studying. It was when she saw that Fraser was on trial for her murder that she decided to come clean and rang a children's helpline for help with the situation. The pair stood trial on charges of falsely causing a police investigation. In 2005, Mr Black pleaded guilty to perjury for telling police he didn't know where Natasha was. He was jailed for 12 months. Natasha was also found guilty of causing a false police investigation and fined $1000. She moved back in with her mum, who was understandably furious and broken hearted over the years of anguish her daughter had caused her. "I didn't want to see her, I hated her," Jenny said afterwards. "If a person loved you so much, how could they put you through that much pain?" Nevertheless she was hugely relieved she was still alive and Natasha's remorse over hurting her family helped Jenny to forgive her. Natasha said she'd wanted to call her family on many occasions but couldn't bring herself to. She told 60 Minutes she was fearful about what would happen to her if she came clean: "I was really scared of the consequences. I thought I would've been sent to prison - I would've been sent away - either to prison or a bad place," she said. The public weren't as forgiving over the lengthy deception and betrayal in one of Australia's most notorious disappearances. There was anger at the lenient sentences, especially as the missing person case cost an estimated $400,000. The fury was compounded by the huge sums of money Natasha and Scott were said to have made from TV and magazine interviews. The couple stayed together and one of these mega-bucks deals was to cover their wedding in 2008 when they were given a reported $200k by Women's Day. Nevertheless, they went on to have four children together and remained in Rockhampton. Although his confession over killing Natasha was obviously false, Fraser was sentenced to life in 2003 for other murders in the area. At his trial the judge described him as a sexual predator who was a danger to the community and his fellow inmates. He died of a heart attack in 2007. Sadly, in June 2024, Natasha, who had changed her name to Tash Black, was found dead on a golf course in Rockhampton. Emergency services launched an air and land search when the 40 year old was reported missing after leaving her home on foot. There were no suspicious circumstances. Friends of the mum and wife, who worked as a nurse, paid tribute to her online, saying she should be remembered for the woman she became rather than her teenage scandal. "She was a person who made a mistake. She had a family, she was a devoted mum who loved her kids, she had a good job and just wanted a peaceful life. Remember her for who she was,'" one post said.
Irish Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Girl, 8, found barking at strangers after 'being raised by dogs'
The disturbing tale of an eight-year-old boy who only communicated by barking after he was found being raised by dogs has shocked the world after news broke last week. The neglected youngster was discovered in a filthy hut in the Thai province of Uttaradit last week and children's activist Paveena Hongsakul said: "He didn't speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see." But as shocking as the discovery was, it is not the first time a child grew up living among a pack of wild dogs. Oxana Malaya suffered a similar fate and was the same age when she was discovered. Below we look back at her bizarre upbringing that has striking parallels with the recent case in Thailand. Oxana was just three years old when her abusive and alcoholic mum and dad abandoned her in Kherson, Ukraine. Trying to escape the bitter cold after being left outside, she sought shelter in a kennel with her pet dog, Naida. This would be her home until she was found five years later. Soon, Naida, along with other strays in the area, treated the girl as an equal, and would share their food and keep her warm. It wasn't long before the little girl copied the mongrels after losing the ability to speak. Rather than act like a normal child, she barked to communicate and panted and travelled on all fours. Oxana licked herself clean just like how the dogs did and she also ate her meals, often including raw meat, off the floor after losing any human skills she once possessed. She lived like this in the poor village of Nova Blahovishchenka for five years but authorities got involved after Oxana barked at a neighbour when she was eight. After police arrived, her loyal canine friends aggressively tried to protect her, until the barking girl was removed from the kennel after the dogs were distracted by food. Oxana was taken by social services in 1991 before eventually adjusting to human life after being welcomed to a foster home. She is now in her early 40s and lives in a special care institution. Rather than try and hide her past, she has been open about it and once told 60 Minutes Australia how her mother had too many children and therefore there weren't enough beds for everyone. This eventually led her to the kennel. She remembered: "I would talk to them, they would bark and I would repeat it. That was our way of communication." Her high profile feral case led to experts studying her. Director of the special care institution where Oxana is based, Anna Chalaya, said: "She was more like a little dog than a human child. "She used to show her tongue when she saw water and she used to eat with her tongue and not her hands." Oxana is also said to have the mental capacity of a six-year-old and child psychologist Lyn Fry once said: "I don't think she's ever going to be able to read or do anything else that is going to be useful. "If you haven't got language by about five, you're probably not going to get language at all." In 2006, Oxana reunited with her dad and half-sister, but the awkward meeting did not help with her ongoing trauma. And speaking about how she still seeks the comfort of dogs while struggling, she added: "When I feel lonely, I find myself doing anything, I crawl on all four. This is how lonely I feel. Because I have nobody, I spend my time with dogs, I go for walks and do anything I want to."
Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Girl, 8, found barking at strangers after 'being raised by dogs'
An eight-year-old boy, starved of human interaction, was found neglected in Thailand in recent days, and the disturbing case draws parallels with a feral girl in Ukraine who was also raised by dogs The disturbing tale of an eight-year-old boy who only communicated by barking after he was found being raised by dogs has shocked the world after news broke last week. The neglected youngster was discovered in a filthy hut in the Thai province of Uttaradit last week and children's activist Paveena Hongsakul said: 'He didn't speak, he just barked. It was pitiful to see.' But as shocking as the discovery was, it is not the first time a child grew up living among a pack of wild dogs. Oxana Malaya suffered a similar fate and was the same age when she was discovered. Below we look back at her bizarre upbringing that has striking parallels with the recent case in Thailand. Oxana was just three years old when her abusive and alcoholic mum and dad abandoned her in Kherson, Ukraine. Trying to escape the bitter cold after being left outside, she sought shelter in a kennel with her pet dog, Naida. This would be her home until she was found five years later. Soon, Naida, along with other strays in the area, treated the girl as an equal, and would share their food and keep her warm. It wasn't long before the little girl copied the mongrels after losing the ability to speak. Rather than act like a normal child, she barked to communicate and panted and travelled on all fours. Oxana licked herself clean just like how the dogs did and she also ate her meals, often including raw meat, off the floor after losing any human skills she once possessed. She lived like this in the poor village of Nova Blahovishchenka for five years but authorities got involved after Oxana barked at a neighbour when she was eight. After police arrived, her loyal canine friends aggressively tried to protect her, until the barking girl was removed from the kennel after the dogs were distracted by food. Oxana was taken by social services in 1991 before eventually adjusting to human life after being welcomed to a foster home. She is now in her early 40s and lives in a special care institution. Rather than try and hide her past, she has been open about it and once told 60 Minutes Australia how her mother had too many children and therefore there weren't enough beds for everyone. This eventually led her to the kennel. She remembered: 'I would talk to them, they would bark and I would repeat it. That was our way of communication.' Her high profile feral case led to experts studying her. Director of the special care institution where Oxana is based, Anna Chalaya, said: 'She was more like a little dog than a human child. 'She used to show her tongue when she saw water and she used to eat with her tongue and not her hands.' Oxana is also said to have the mental capacity of a six-year-old and child psychologist Lyn Fry once said: 'I don't think she's ever going to be able to read or do anything else that is going to be useful. 'If you haven't got language by about five, you're probably not going to get language at all.' In 2006, Oxana reunited with her dad and half-sister, but the awkward meeting did not help with her ongoing trauma. And speaking about how she still seeks the comfort of dogs while struggling, she added: 'When I feel lonely, I find myself doing anything, I crawl on all four. This is how lonely I feel. Because I have nobody, I spend my time with dogs, I go for walks and do anything I want to.'
Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Cave dubbed 'world's most breathtaking secret' could kill you within minutes
The Cave of the Crystals is one of the most stunning geological wonders at the centre of the Earth – but it's not a place you would want to stay for long because death would find you within minutes A remarkable geological marvel located at the heart of our planet has been dubbed the "best kept and most breathtaking secret on the planet" - but visiting it would be a deadly risk. The hostile underground cavern, known as the Cave of the Crystals, is situated in Chihuahua, Mexico. Broadcaster Michael Usher, who negotiated for two years to gain access, described it as "mother nature's Sistine Chapel" that is "almost something from out of space". The cave, filled with spectacular crystals weighing up to 55 tonnes and reaching 11 metres in height, lies 300 metres beneath a lead mine in the town of Naica. The crystal-filled chamber was only discovered in 2000 when miners stumbled upon it during drilling operations. The cave, shaped like a horseshoe, extends for 110 metres. Despite its mesmerising interior, lingering there too long could prove fatal. Recently, 60 Minutes Australia reissued a video showing their reporter being granted rare access, where he stated: "The furnace-like heat and soaring humidity can kill you in minutes. But when you see what I saw - you will see why it was worth every suffocating gasp for breath." Humans are not designed to survive in 58Cheat coupled with stifling humidity. Before Michael descended into the cave, an accompanying doctor warned: "This is going to be the harshest environment that you and I are ever going to come across in our life. So I am excited but a little anxious." The crystals were described as "the most spectacular anywhere in the word" with Michael saying he was "literally blown away" by the beauty of it. Also present was British geologist Dougal Jerram who marvelled at what he was seeing, saying it was the stuff of make believe while comparing it to something you would see in a Walt Disney production. However, despite the scenery, the trio were soon sweating profusely, comparing the feeling to like running a marathon. The humidity is at a perilous 90% and people aren't allowed to stay more than 10 minutes, even with specially-designed cooling suits. The doctor said they were essentially being cooked from the inside and the geologist added: "It is a remarkable place but it is so overpowering in terms of its attack on you in the environment. You are in this kind of constant battle of being overpowered physically, mentally and psychologically in every way." Struggling for breath, they soon left the cave, and were left to reflect on what they witnessed. The crystal cave they explored was first formed some 26 million years ago when magma rose from the reservoir, which, according to Live Science, pushed mineral-rich waters up through cracks in the rock. This opened up caverns in the limestone before the deposits were crystalised over thousands of years. Following his visit to the "enormous" natural wonder, roughly the size of a football pitch, geologist Dougal was left in awe, stating: "Oh, this is truly one of the most... if we were to list seven geological wonders of the world, this is definitely one of them." Due to its perilous nature, scientists are required to obtain a special permit to explore the Cave of the Crystals, and it remains strictly off-limits to tourists.
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
'Bloodthirsty chimp ripped off my face and hands – I'll never forget one sound'
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: Charla thought little of it when her friend invited her over to help with her pet chimpanzee – but saying yes resulted in her eyes being ripped out just minutes later A single mum who miraculously survived a bloodthirsty chimpanzee tearing off her face, hands and eyes before it ate her flesh spoke about the one thing she remembers from the attack. Charla Nash, whose life was transformed from the chilling onslaught in February 2009, has shown remarkable spirit and endurance ever since. And speaking to 60 Minutes Australia about her lasting memory of the horror, she said: 'The thing I heard the most was the chimp screaming, screaming, and screaming and screaming.' Given she had been through something truly unimaginable, the interviewer also asked her to impart a message to anyone out there having a 'tough day'. Responding, she simply said: 'Take some time, relax, take the day off, and it will get better. It will get better if you want it to get better.' Asked if her own life was 'good' again, she answered: 'Life is getting better. It is coming around. Slowly. But yeah, it is getting better, it is hard, but it is better.' Charla was aged 55 when her friend, Sandra, invited her over to help get her pet animal, Travis, back into his pen. Sandra had been nurturing the chimpanzee, which she paid $50,000 for when it was an infant, as if it was her human son. They slept in the same bed and after the horror incident at her home in Connecticut, US, she said: 'He couldn't be more my son than if I gave birth to him.' But things took an ugly turn when Travis, acting out of character, brutally attacked her best friend Charla, flinging her against a car before viciously tearing at her face and hands. Desperate, Sandra got a carving knife and stabbed him in the back, but the animal was relentless. The owner also called 911 and yelled: "He ripped her apart! Hurry up! Hurry up! Please!" She continued: 'Gun! They got to shoot him! Please! Please! Hurry! Hurry! Please! I can't. I can't ... He's eating her! He's eating her! Please! God! Please! Where are they? Where are they?' Police arrived to fatally shoot Travis and Charla was taken to hospital with her life hanging in the balance. Her pulse was weak and she had no nose, no mouth and just a thumb on her right hand. Reflecting on the ordeal on the recently re-released 60 Minutes episode, she said: 'I am amazed that I was still alive.' Her daughter, Briana, added: 'Before I seen her for the first time (without a face) I was very, very afraid of what I was going to see because I had no idea what to expect. 'That was my biggest fear (her mum dying) - what if she doesn't wake up? So when I finally saw her when she did wake up, it was an exciting and relieving moment.' Charla eventually had a face transplant but her body rejected an attempt at a hand transplant. She said getting a new face changed her life, but she remains in perpetual darkness, and she lives in a nursing facility where she is reliant on carers. Despite previously acknowledging to Oprah Winfrey the 'scary' part was not knowing what her future held, and that some days she just wanted to cry because you 'want some kind of home', she has surprised many, even her own daughter, with how resilient she is. Briana reflected: 'It is amazing, the human spirit, how deep it goes. It is not something you can see. It is something that is just there and it is powerful. 'And it has given me the ability over time instead of when I talk to someone, instead of just looking at them, I hear them... I hear them.'
