Qld: Decision on Natasha Ryan charges a month away

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Qld: Decision on Natasha Ryan charges a month away

By Janelle Miles

BRISBANE, April 15 AAP - A decision on whether teenager Natasha Ryan or boyfriend ScottBlack will face charges over her bizarre four year disappearance will not be known forat least a month.

Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said last night it would be three to fourweeks before a full brief would be delivered to the Director of Public Prosecutions forconsideration.

Police found her last Thursday, hiding in a cupboard at the home she shared with MrBlack in the central Queensland city of Rockhampton, not far from where she disappearedin September 1998.

Until then, Natasha's family and police believed she was a victim of alleged serialkiller Leonard John Fraser.

Both Ms Ryan and Mr Black could be charged with attempting to pervert the course ofjustice or conspiring to pervert the course of justice given Fraser had been on trialfor her murder.

Mr Black had given a sworn statement two years ago denying he knew the whereaboutsof his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, an inquiry has been launched into why police failed to act on a call Natashamade to a youth crisis line on March 10.

Mr Atkinson said Natasha had contacted a youth counselling service by phone, usingthe alias "Sally".

She told the counsellor she had run away with a boyfriend and a person had since beencharged with her murder.

The counsellor contacted Brisbane police communications on April 2 and an officer unsuccessfullytried to trace the call but took no further action.

The matter is being investigated by the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).

Celebrity agent Max Markson last night announced media magnate Kerry Packer's Publishingand Broadcasting Ltd, which operates the Nine network and The Australian Women's Weekly,had won a bidding war to tell Natasha Ryan's story.

He said in a statement Ms Ryan and Mr Black would not profit from the story, althoughit was unclear who stood to benefit.

Ms Ryan may also face questioning at the ongoing Brisbane Supreme Court trial of Fraser,who has pleaded not guilty to the murders of three other women.

Justice Brian Ambrose said the matter needed to be discussed without the jury, andlegal argument is expected today.

AAP jhm/cjh/de

KEYWORD: RYAN DAYLEAD