Schapelle Corby - Can I Get A Witness?

Schapelle Corby, the 27 year old Australian girl accused of trying to smuggle 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali, has had her first day in court. Her defense team is counting on the testimony of a Australian man, but he's currently serving out a sentence in a Melbourne jail.

After weeks of navigating a complex terrain of international treaties and agreements, the Indonesian and Australian government appear to have worked out a way to allow the prisoner to speak on Corby's behalf:

This case is garnering a lot of attention in Australia. Travelling abroad is an integral part of this culture, and people are terrified to think that this young girl could easily have been their daughter, sister, or friend. Imagine getting off a plane in a foreign country and opening your luggage in front of the customs officer only to find a huge bag of drugs. What a nightmare.

Another point that has people horrified at Corby's plight is the fact that she faces the death penalty. The vast majority of Australians consider it to be a barbaric and inhuman practice. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with Aussies who are amazed that the US still kills it's prisoners. They react to capital punishment the way Americans might react to, say, female circumsicion.

The general consensus, therefore, seems to be that the Indonesian judicial system should be allowed to take it's course. Hopefully Corby will be found not guilty in the end and everything will be OK. However, should the courts sentence her to death there will be massive outrage, especially after the incredible amount of foreign aid Australia has sent to Indonesia (tsunami, Bali bombing, etc.)

Posted by flow Frazao on March 26, 2005 at 07:09 PM in Australia | Permalink