A curious case has attracted media attention and a mixed reaction from the public. In February, 1996 a twenty year old Australian girl was searched at the customs barrier at Thailand's Bangkok airport. Her backpack contained four kilos of Hashish and five hundred amphetamine tablets. She was immediately arrested and placed in the notorious prison - referred to by inmates as the " Bangkok Hilton ".
Getting caught smuggling drugs in Thailand is a serious crime. The courts usually impose the death penalty for large amounts of narcotics and at the very least, an offender can expect many years in one of Asia's most feared prison systems.
This girl was lucky because her father was a rich businessman and he immediately engaged the best lawyers to represent her and an application was made for bail. Granting bail in drug cases is rare in Thailand but the quality of the legal representation was such that it was granted after a $ 74,000 bail bond was posted. The girl immediately skipped bail - left the country and disappeared from public view.
Decades later, the media learn that she has been quietly living in Dublin, Ireland. She has been " hiding in plain sight " and seems to have no immediate plans to return to Australia. Ireland has no extradition treaty with Thailand while Australian law is unclear on what obligations are in force, hence she is far safer remaining in Ireland because of the certainty that involves.
Another safeguard is the fact that Ireland is a signatory to the European Convention of Human Rights which forbids extradition to any country that still imposes the death penalty as a punishment. In the event that she was arrested in a country with a reciprocal Thai extradition treaty, an appeal to the world body could bring relief.
Publicity has angered and devastated the parents and loved ones of other foolish young Australians who have been coerced into acting as drug mules - and been caught ! It has slammed shut any hope of others being granted bail in many Asian countries because of a belief that all Australians come from rich families - and immediately bail is granted they will take flight and remain out of reach of the Asian justice system.
It certainly does send an unwelcome message - to the despair of those who have no hope of offering even a fraction of the bail money that freed this young woman. Obviously, to a millionaire the loss of $ 74,000 to free a daughter from a cell on death row is of little consequence. To others - it is an insurmountable hurdle !
Unfortunately, the lure of big profits and the belief that exists in many young minds that they are " bullet proof " causes some people to take appalling risks. They judge the risks on the basis of the penalties that apply in Australia, despite repeated and glaring warnings at all points of entry and departure from this country.
This publicity may even have a reverse effect. Some from affluent Australian families may be brazen and assume that family money will protect them from justice !
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