Posted on 05/29/2005 1:03:37 PM PDT by wagglebee
CHAPELLE Corby is suffering cruel abuse and racial taunts in jail as Indonesian authorities move to keep her in prison for life.
The Indonesian Government yesterday backed the prosecution bid to toughen Corby's 20-year jail sentence for smuggling 4.1 kilograms of marijuana into Bali's airport last October.
"The 20 years in jail handed down by the Denpasar District Court is too light," Indonesian Attorney-General Abdul Rahman Sale told the Bali Post newspaper.
"She deserves to be sentenced to life."
As the reality of the marathon jail term sank in, Corby, 27, issued a heartfelt thank you to the nation.
"Thank you Australia. Thank you for standing by me," she said through her lawyers.
"Thank you for being there with me."
In other developments:
IT emerged long-term inmates of the dirty and overcrowded prison where she is being held have life expectancies of only 10 years.
THE trial judge defended his verdict as just.
HER family fears she may take her life if she is left to rot in prison.
MEMBERS of the Bali 9 were left dispirited after hearing for the first time that Corby had been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
THE Federal Government is offering to pay for the services of two top QCs with expertise in appeals in Indonesian law.
Corby's Indonesian lawyer, Vasu Rasiah, said she was struggling inside the notorious Kerobokan prison.
"Schapelle is very emotional - sometimes she is smiling, sometimes she is crying," he said.
"She's undergoing deep shock."
"Five or 10 years maybe you can understand, but 20 years - she just can't comprehend the time frame."
Ms Corby's cousin, who gave her name only as Nina, described the Australian's jail cell as a "disgusting, dirty and overcrowded place".
"She says the Indonesians inside are giving her hell because she wears western clothes and she can't speak Indonesian," she said.
The jail, near the Balinese capital Denpasar, was built for 366 prisoners, but holds 525. Among them are the Bali bombers.
The "Smiling Assassin" Amrozi - so-called because he laughed when punished for his role in killing 88 Australians - has yelled abuse at Corby as she tried to exercise.
Kerobokan prison doctor Anak Agung Gede Hartawan said common diseases included respiratory ailments and skin conditions, while many prisoners complained of headaches.
AIDS/HIV was rife, because corrupt officials turned a blind eye to drug abuse - indeed they are implicated in supplying them.
Dr Hartawan said 11 prisoners were confirmed carriers of HIV/AIDS, but dozens more were thought to have the virus.
Corby shares her 5m-wide cell with seven other women.
She will be forced to wash with a small bucket of untreated water and a ladle.
The squat toilet is near the food preparation area and the risk of contracting gastric disease is high.
For up to 20 hours a day she will be confined to her cell, where she will sleep on a mat on a tiled floor under a fluorescent light that is never switched off.
Chief judge Linton Sirait defended the guilty verdict, dismissing public angst the decision has caused.
"I am responsible for my verdict to the God, not to the people."
Corby's mother Rosleigh had screamed after the verdict that the judges would lose sleep over their decision, but yesterday Judge Sirait said he had slept "very well last night".
He said had not let Corby's emotion influence the decision.
"A judge is not allowed to bring his emotion to the case, so the judge decides in accordance to the law," he said.
Corby's family last night issued a statement appealing to Australians to continue visiting Bali.
"Do not boycott Bali. We don't want the Balinese people to hurt any more," it said.
"We just want the Australian people to boycott Qantas flights and direct your anger at Jakarta.
"Thank you to all the Australian people for their support. We are not finished yet."
Corby's brother Michael feared his sister might try to take her own life.
"She'd be thinking of killing herself," he said.
"She's been strong up until now, believing justice will prevail. But now . . . she's not going to cope."
Corby's Australian lawyer said it was likely they would accept the Australian Government's offer of legal assistance.
Solicitor Robin Tampoe said any assistance from Perth QCs Tom Percy and Mark Trowell, experts in appeals and Indonesian law, would be welcome.
The Australian Government had urged the Corby defence team to accept the pro bono offer.
Mr Percy yesterday warned that Corby risked having her jail term extended to life if the defence team appealed.
But criminologist Professor Paul Wilson, who testified in favour of Corby during the trial, said a win was not out of the question.
"It will be extremely difficult, but not impossible," he said.
I hope so .... but I sure wonder. The guy in the article Ambrose quoted got a "20 year" sentence, eligible for parole in 5.
In six months, this young lady will be forgotten and heavily tattooed with her protectors markings. Mark you calendar and then call Amnesty Intl' for a follow up.
Real nice...you must be an atheist.
Juries are hardly responsible for murderers spending an average of six years in prison, even if that were true. Sentencing guidelines are a matter of state and federal laws, and until recently those had wide latitude, which the judge was free to exploit. A lot did.
As far as "jury nullification", there have been perhaps two or three such cases of that right being asserted in the last century. It is shot down by virtually every trial judge, and simply saying it will usually get you thrown off a jury (a cute tactic I use when I don't want to do jury duty).
..if true...she's SO dumb/stupid/bubblebrained...If she's lucky, after a few months/years, she may get traded/swapped..to serve some time back home.
This is Indonesian payback for the Austrailians. Aussies are not well liked there, since Aussie troops kicked the
Indonesian militias out of East Timor after the independence vote in 2000. After the Bali bombing, Aussies should just stay away from that country. The Philippines would be a safer choice.
Correction...
"about"
He said that the foreigners take their laws seriously. That is pretty amusing as the "Judge" gave the Bali bombers short sentances because they are scared of the local Islamofascists. That sounds fair.
I think that some folks are applying western standards to this hellhole of a prison. It sounds like she will be dead within five years. No one deserves that for smuggling marijuana.
Does not wanting people to die horrible deaths for marijuana smuggling make me a Liberal? LOL!
Arioch7 out!
Arioch7 out.
... and your tag.
"Do not boycott Bali. We don't want the Balinese people to hurt any more," it said. That's right, lick the boot that kicks you. Heaven forbid people offend Muslim scumbags and their retarded, medieval culture.
Well, maybe, but it still was a lot of fun to post that.
BTW, isn't Indonesia mostly Muslim?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.