Wednesday 4 June 2008

Spears' family fear for her life

Following her unexpected release from a Los Angeles hospital yesterday, the parents of troubled singer Britney Spears have said that they believe her life is at risk.
In a joint statement given to The Associated Press, Jamie and Lynne Spears said they were "extremely disappointed" about their daughter's release from the UCLA Medical Center where she had been undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
The statement said: "As parents of an adult child in the throes of a mental health crisis, we were extremely disappointed this morning to learn that over the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist, our daughter Britney was released from the hospital that could best care for her and keep her safe."
The statement continued: "We are deeply concerned about our daughter's safety and vulnerability and we believe her life is presently at risk. There are conservatorship orders in place created to protect our daughter that are being blatantly disregarded. We ask only that the court's orders be enforced so that a tragedy may be averted."
The Los Angeles Times reported that Spears left the UCLA Medical Center quietly with a small security group.
However paparazzi later followed the singer when she left her home.
Spears was tailed by photographers to the Beverly Hills Hotel where police broke up the crowd and escorted the 26-year-old inside.
It was not clear why Spears, who it was reported had been ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation for two weeks, was released from hospital.
A UCLA Medical Center spokesman refused to comment, citing patient confidentiality laws.