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.
May you never appear on television in an orange jumpsuit, friend. Because if you do, other people will be saying this about you, and assuming that you're guilty.
What kind of luggage was the pot in, and what website is your post from?
It depends on the type of folks she was hanging with. If she pissed off the wrong guy . . .
It is still an awful prison system.
Arioch7 out.
When a tourist visits Mexico, there is a significant possibility that he may become a victim of that country's wave of gang kidnappings. Is this a "local custom" that we must "adjust to"?
Actually, Bali is a nice place. My wife and I went there a few years ago and had a great time.
That's nice. I just have zero desire to go to that region, or very few regions outside the USA for that matter. The USA is big place, and basically has more to offer than Bali ever would.
Nine pounds isn't that much. That would be a really small load for drug mules moving pot across the country here. Usually in country mules are moving close to a hundred pounds or more. In many cases it's a ton or more. If it was regular Mexican like most people smoke here nine pounds could be had for less than $5,000 in Texas or other states where it is brought in and stashed in safe houses to be distributed across the country. In Mexico if you know the right people it wouldn't be difficult to get more than 90 pounds for that. Pot couldn't be worth too terribly much money in Bali. I can't imagine nine pounds would be worth more than a few thousand, certainly not enough to risk your life over.
If she is indeed guilty, why isn't her sentence reasonable?
This is why people should not attempt this at home. Leave sarcasm to trained professionals.
To wit: Let us say someone made a post in which they expressed how stingy they were. I am Jewish, but if I made the comment "Real nice. You must be a Jew," I would expect, and certainly get, castigation.
No anger towards ya, man. You just made a small boo-boo. Take the correction with dignity and acceptance.
For starters because homicide bombers are given much less sentences by this very same judge!!! - Additionally it is common sense that someone with pot on them doesn't deserve to do the rest of their young adult life in prison with a bunch of other complete animals. (to not intellectually admit this is just silly and useless for further discussion - least you never find yourself in any trouble down the road, the karma will not go easy on you).
Well that is funny.
If you havent noticed our world is no Utopia. I think its best to place a higher priority on the more serious crimes. There is more value to society that way with the limited resources available.
"Additionally it is common sense that someone with pot on them doesn't deserve to do the rest of their young adult life in prison with a bunch of other complete animals."
Why is your conclusion common sense? The woman had 9 lbs. of highly-potent marijuana in her bag. Common sense would dicate to me that, given the laws of Indonesia and a fair trial (which obviously some question), 20 years is appropriate. In some states, she might get the same. It is highly illegal do transport that amount of pot in Indonesia. Would you want Indonesians to tell you, based on their standards and laws, what is appropriate in the U.S.? If not, you are a hypocrite.
Well, in a general way I would call it absurd, but that is typical of justice in countries with a muslim majority. OTOH, if she did what she is accused of, and this sentence is comparable to what a native Malaysian would get for the same crime, then I have little sympathy for her.
BS! or I am hypocrite with a brain (at the very least) - (and the logic that being a hypocrite on any given topic makes one immediately wrong is in correct to begin with).
The simple fact that this judge gives homicide bombers less time (than this women got) only shows the foolishness of your thought - Additionally we are fighting a GWOT based to some extent on NOT completely caring about what the "standards & laws" of foreign Countries are! (and for very good reasons when it makes sense for us to do so!).
And lastly, spare me the "highly-potent marijuana" (as if that was why her verdict was what it was - as if, it would have been a "less-potent" version she would have received a lesser sentence. Please.
Again, no body deserves to do over 20 years for marijuana (not there and not here in the United States either) - My God we have jails full of nonviolent drug possession perps here in the United States (while we let violent criminals out daily).
I keep seeing people write about this "highly potent" marijuana, saying it was some kind of super powerful hydroponic pot and so on. Was it? Is that just a guess or is there some evidence of that?
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