Profit from crime !

When a fourteen year old Australian boy bought Marijuana from a dealer on a Bali beach he probably had no idea the storm of controversy he was about to unleash.   His tender age brought appeals from Australia for mercy, because under harsh Indonesian drug laws he was facing a six year sentence in an adult gaol if convicted.

The Indonesian authorities have bent over backwards to make concessions because of his youth.  He has been held in a police station instead of a gaol and his father has been allowed to share this accommodation to ease his anxiety.   An initial hearing was removed from the gravity of a court - and rather incongruously - the office in which it was held was fitted with curtains bearing cartoon characters to lighten the mood.

The stage seems to be set for either a very light sentence - to be served by way of home detention in Australia, or for the charge to be dismissed on the basis of " time served " - and the boy deported.

Then - right out of left field - comes media reports that this boy's story has been the centre of a bidding war by the television industry - and that a deal has been done that will bestow a reward of somewhere between two hundred and three hundred thousand dollars for exclusive rights.

This can only sour the tolerance of the Indonesian judiciary.    That sort of money is an absolute fortune in such a poor country and the thought that the prisoner will go home to a life of riches because of his crime will not go down well.

It also raises the question of whether " profit from crime " legislation in this country should be applied to confiscate this television fee.   Those convicted of drug trafficking here are routinely financially assessed - and homes, expensive cars, boats, cash and expensive toys are seized by the Crown.   Why should this be any different ?

There are people who think that the money is justified because it will help reimburse the legal fees incurred in his defence - but these were services provided by his parents and legally they have no claim on the money coming from the television appearances.   The dispersal of that money could well become the subject of bitter legal wrangling further down the track.

This whole distasteful affair smacks of " cheque book journalism ".    A crime is committed - and there is an unusual aspect to the criminal.   In this case - a young age - that attracts media attention and creates an instant " celebrity " !

Just like a young man who held a party that attracted thousands - which wrecked his family's home a few years ago - the glare of publicity conferred celebrity status and allowed this person to bask in the limelight and draw money from appearances.

It seems that nothing is going to change anytime soon !      The public is fascinated by such stories - and the media is more than willing to pay to feed that interest !