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Topic: Schapelle Corby (Read 551 times)

lakelady
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Schapelle Corby
« on: May 5^th, 2005, 7:43am »

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I know this is an old story, but I just learned of it today and it sickens me.

Would you all please keep this young woman in your prayers?

Eleventh hour letter to judge
By Sian Powell and Olivia Rondonuwu
May 05, 2005

SCHAPELLE Corby has sent 11th-hour handwritten pleas to the chief judge and the chief prosecutor in her trial, begging to go home to Australia to be with her dying father.

Her grandmother died while she was locked up, she wrote in both letters, and she thought seven months in Balinese cells was sufficient punishment for forgetting to lock her body-board bag.
The 27-year-old beauty school student begged chief judge Linton Sirait to consider the evidence of John Patrick Ford, the Victorian prisoner flown to Bali by the Australian Government to testify he had overheard a conversation in jail concerning drug-smuggling in Australian airports.

"Please Mr Judge, find in your heart to take Mr John Ford's testimony into account, also all the evidence and lack of evidence - for your final verdict," Ms Corby wrote.

The two-page letters were delivered, with translations into Indonesian, to Judge Sirait last week, the day after the defence lawyers addressed the court in a final summation. That same day, Ms Corby also read from handwritten notes, her voice breaking and tears streaming down her cheeks.

Ms Corby's interpreter delivered the letters to the judge, and the judge was asked to pass on the second letter to chief prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu. Judge Sirait confirmed he had received the letter.

"Without being told to do it, John Ford's testimony will be considered," he said.

"All testimony from the witnesses, either from the prosecution or the defence, will be considered by the judges. That's certain. Not one element will be overlooked."

Arrested in Bali's Ngurah Rai airport last October, and accused of trying to smuggle 4.1kg of marijuana into Indonesia, Ms Corby is scheduled to appear tomorrow in Bali District Court to hear the prosecutor's rebuttal of the defence's final address.

The prosecution team has already recommended a sentence of life in prison.

In the letter to the chief prosecutor, Ms Corby used a rather brisker tone.

"Both sides of the story don't add up," she wrote.

"Your side with Customs and police working unprofessionally. My side with no help from Australian airports and security."

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lakelady
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #1 on: May 5^th, 2005, 7:46am »

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http://www.schapellecorby.org/

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lakelady
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #2 on: May 5^th, 2005, 7:47am »

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Schapelle Corby awaits sentence PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY
The World Today - Wednesday, 30 March , 2005 12:30:00
Reporter: Steve Austin

ELEANOR HALL: Her defence team has rested its case, and now Schapelle Corby waits in a Bali prison to hear what her sentence might be if she's found guilty of drug smuggling.

It's not yet known whether Ms Corby's defence team has persuaded the Indonesian judges that she's simply a victim of a domestic Australian drug smuggling ring.

Professor Paul Wilson, the head of Criminology at Queensland's Bond University, has just returned from Bali where he testified in the case, and he's speaking here to ABC radio's Brisbane 612 presenter, Steve Austin.

PAUL WILSON: Basically I compared her characteristics, personal characteristics, background characteristics, with those of drug couriers. And I also analysed the crime as I saw it. I came to the conclusion, based on many, many facts, that she had no intent to put drugs in the bag, she had no knowledge of it, and that she was innocent. And I said that.

It was a fairly bizarre setting to be saying these things, in an Indonesian court with the media running around, a cameraman and woman rushing behind the judges, sound recorders sticking mikes in front of you all the time, but the experience was highly emotional, not only actually giving evidence, but also just being there and being involved in the case.

STEVE AUSTIN: It's getting the atmosphere of being a show trial, almost, at the moment, isn't it, in Indonesia?

PAUL WILSON: Well, yes, they have lots of show trials in Indonesia, partly because their system is very different from ours. It's essentially an inquisitorial system. And the judges control proceedings and ask most of the questions, and they can at times ask questions in a fairly direct way.

One experience that sticks in my mind was when one of the judges said to me: well, you're a criminologist, you should be able to read faces and know whether Schapelle Corby is innocent or not.

And then he asked Schapelle Corby to stand up and for me to stand up and for me to look in her eyes and say whether I thought she was innocent or not. And I said to the judge, and to the court, I said well, I cannot just come to a conclusion based on looking at her eyes.

But I have interviewed her, I have analysed her case in some detail, and I have looked at the records regarding her prior behaviour before her arrest and during her arrest, and I'd come to the conclusion that she had no intent.

And I was put on the spot a bit, because you're not asked those sort of very direct questions in courts in Australia, at which stage the crowd in the court clapped me. I was taken aback by this. I didn't really think clapping was appropriate in courts, but it happened.

But this question came right out of the blue, and that's how proceedings happen in Indonesian courts. The judges can ask anything they want to, anything at all they want to.

One point I will make, though, is that the leading Indonesian barrister in the case, who's done something like 350 drug trials in Indonesia, and mainly in Bali but not entirely in Bali, told me that he's only had three or four acquittals.

And what that means is that under Indonesian law, you virtually have to reverse the onus of proof, and you have to prove that there is another scenario, another way that the drugs could have gotten in the bag. It's not really for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt. The onus is on you the defence to

STEVE AUSTIN: Prove innocence?

PAUL WILSON: to prove innocence, and to give another way in which the drugs could have got in the bag. So I think that's the reason why Robin Tampoe and Ron Bakir and the Indonesian team have brought this informer over, despite the risks of doing so.

ELEANOR HALL: Professor Paul Wilson, the head of Criminology at Queensland's Bond University, speaking to the ABC's Steve Austin in Brisbane.

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luci
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #3 on: May 5^th, 2005, 10:52am »

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Good grief, how horrible! My husband tells me that I am the most locking up person he's ever seen. Every piece of luggage is locked when we travel and he doesn't think it is necessary! I'll have him read this story!

Very sad story indeed!

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bec
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #4 on: May 6^th, 2005, 1:22am »

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the schapelle Corby case has been followed here in Australia intensely as you can imagine.

We;re all fighting for her release and strongly believe in her innocence. It's tragic what has happened to her and sadly it could to happen to any one of us when travelling overseas!

about 3 weeks ago 9 other Australians were arrested in Bali for trying to smuggle drugs back to Australai. They were caught with the herion strapped to their bodies. These 9 8 men and 1 woman aged between 19 and 26 claim they were offered an overseas holiday and $15 000 each if they were to become drug "mules". They all calimed never to have been overseas before and were unaware of the serious penalty for drug smuggling....all these 9 came from underprivileged homes!

At first Australians supported these 9 and felt sorry for them as we all thought their only crime was stupidity! However it's now come to light that all of these 9 had been to Bali 3 times within the last 6 months and on each occassion had travelled on fake passports!!!! Sorry but they have now proven themselves to be nothing more than drug smugglers and criminals.

Between Schapelle and these 9 I know who I'd rather have set free!

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bec
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #5 on: May 13^th, 2005, 12:03am »

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Schapelle Corby will know her fate in 2 weeks!

It's unlikely that she will be found not guilty howver we do know that she will escape the death penalty and will most likely be sentenced to life in prison!

can you imagine spending the rest of your life ina Bali prison.......absolutely horrible!

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lakelady
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #6 on: May 13^th, 2005, 9:03am »

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I would rather have the death penalty.

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luci
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #7 on: May 13^th, 2005, 9:18am »

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A life sentence in any prison would be horrible.
Isn't there something the government can do to get her out?
This is horrible! LL, I'm with you, just take me on out.

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Rhune
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #8 on: May 13^th, 2005, 11:57am »

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When I was in college, a girl from my school spent several years in a Mexico prison because she refilled her prescription while she was on spring break there. The prescription was for more than the legal limit of that particular pill in Mexico, but a normal amount in America. She had no idea. The pharmacist went to the back, called the police, filled her prescription, gave it to her and the police were waiting outside to arrest her when she walked out. This was just in Mexico, but the government was not able to get her released for several years (3 if I reall correctly). She died a couple weeks after she returned home because of how malnurished her body was as a result. At least she died at home.

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bec
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #9 on: May 14^th, 2005, 12:44am »

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It is possible that the Australian government may be able to have Schapelle transfered to an australian prison but sadly not until she has spent at least 10 years in bali!!!!.......basically we all know what that means......the poor girl will never step foot on australian soil again!!!

rhune your story is heartbreaking....it's dreadful to think that a genuine mistake like that can lead to such tragic circumstances.

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Pocket
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #10 on: May 14^th, 2005, 9:29am »

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Maybe if the government took the step of warning it's citizens not to visit there, the government of Bali might relent. I imagine there are a great many tourists from Australia that vacation there. If the government can't do it, a grass roots movement (starting with the people) might help. Fewer tourists hits them in the pocket.

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bec
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #11 on: May 14^th, 2005, 10:16am »

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bali is a very popular holiday destination for australians and after the bombings in 2002 which killed 88 australians tourism to that area slowed down a great deal. Australias relationship with indonesia is pretty shaky....( after what we did in East Timor).....and I really don't think the government want to push the friendship.....although in my opinion the australian govt has done bugger all to help schapelle or her family.

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bec
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #12 on: May 16^th, 2005, 9:45am »

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Schapelle corby sent a handwritten letter to our Prime Minister Mr John Howard in part it stated:

" DEAR MR HOWARD,
AS LEADER OF MY HOME COUNTRY BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY AS A FATHER, PLEASE HELP ME"

Our Prime Ministers Response to the media

" I TRULY FEEL FOR MS CORBY AND HER FAMILY HOWEVER I CANNOT INTERFERE WITH ANOTHER COUNTRIES JUDICIAL SYSTEM"

Oh Please.....what a cop out!

A letter has been sent to the Indonesians prosecuters from our government outlining how several baggage handlers from Sydney airport have been arrested for drug smuggling and using passengers luggage to transport the drugs from one country to another. This has all come to light in the past week.
However the letter failed to mention that the baggage handler who is considered to be the ringleader of the smuggling racket was in fact working on the same day and at the time schapelle Corby flew out of sydney to bali!

At this point in time our government has done nothing to support Schapelle and I think it's disgraceful!

We currently also have an australian being held hostage in Iraq and what have the government done ....nothing!!

The leader of a Muslim group here in Sydney has flown to Iraq to plead for Douglas Woods release.....it's amazing isn't it.......The Australian Government does nothing whilst a Muslim leader does all he can to prevent anothet hostage being executed!

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luci
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #13 on: May 21^st, 2005, 10:03am »

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Bec, what is the update on this girl now?

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"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and
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bec
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Re: Schapelle Corby
« Reply #14 on: May 22^nd, 2005, 12:18am »

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The verdict will be passed down on Friday 27th May at approx" 12noon our time!

A television special that aired here the other night showed both sides......the case for and against!

If she had been caught with the drugs here in Australia there is now way an australian court could convict....the evidence against her is just far to flimsy!

One point that was raised in the tv special was that the majority of drug smugglers are caught trying to get the drugs OUT of bali......it seems ridiculous that someone would try and smuggle this type of drug INTO the country when it is so readily available there!

I'll post the verdict as soon as it is available!

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