Thirty-six-year-old Schapelle Corby was granted parole last month, after being convicted of importing 4.2kg of cannabis into Indonesia on a flight between Brisbane and Denpasar in 2004. In 2005 she was sentenced to 20 years is prison – although through a series of appeals she had her sentence reduced to 15 years.
Currently, Corby is required to stay in Indonesia until 2017, where she will live with her sister, Mercedes.
She has been in prison for 9.5 years.
It’s difficult to imagine the effect this must’ve had on Schapelle Corby. And really, we still don’t know. In Channel 7’s exclusive footage of Corby’s first days out of prison, we don’t get to hear much from Corby herself.
Instead, her sister Mercedes weighs in, explaining how her sister is feeling.
Although initial reports suggested that Corby was offered a deal to tell her story to Channel 7 – and would be paid close to $2 million dollars – those reports have since been denied. The Indonesian government forbade Corby from being paid for an interview, as it would breach her parole conditions.
Sunday Night did negotiate exclusive access to Corby after she was released on parole, but a spokeswoman for the program has said that, “There’s no interview with Schapelle, and no payment was made.”
So, what did we learn from Sunday Night’s program on Schapelle? Here are 6 quotes that give some insight into Corby’s current condition.
1. As she was driven through the streets outside the courtroom, Schapelle is heard to say, “I started crying, because they just use me… I don’t like to judge, but that’s just wrong.” She is referring, presumably, to the media camped outside.
2. She is ‘broken’. Mercedes told Sunday Night that, “She’s broken now, and even though I’m her big sister… I feel that now she really relies on me. She’s had to rely on me. She’s lost her strength She was such a strong person before. She’s different.”
3. Her sister Mercedes says that Schapelle is even more devastated by her father’s absence now she has been released. Mercedes says Schapelle’s exact words were, “Something’s missing… It’s Dad.”
Schapelle’s father died six years ago after a long battle with prostate cancer.
4. Mercedes does not believe the rumours that their father may have put the 4.2kgs of cannabis into Schapelle’s luggage. Mercedes said:
“There’s no way. All those rumours that have been said about my Dad are wrong. If my dad was alive now, they’d never have been published… Because he could have defended himself.”
5. Reporter Mike Willesee describes how he told Schapelle, “I’m glad you’re free.”
Her response was to say, “I’m not free. Do you think I’ll ever be normal, and be able to walk down the street, like other people?”
6. And on a slighter lighter note, her first words after being released were: “I feel like a crab”. These words were uttered after Corby was hustled through a crowd of reporters and into a waiting van, while wearing her much-discussed tartan-scarf-veil and fedora hat combo.
Schapelle has been released on parole – but she is still a prisoner. In that light, her comment makes a lot of sense.
What do you think of the coverage of Schapelle Corby’s release from prison? Do you think she should be able to be compensated for an interview?
Top Comments
No, I don't think anyone was paid for the interview as such, but who paid for the family to stay at the lovely resort leading up to the interview?
I don't think it matters whether she did it or not. The girl has lived in a hellhole for 9.5 years and its cost her her mental health and her ability to live a normal life. She was tried in a corrupt court system where drug bosses and murderers serve less time than she did, because they have the money and the connections to get their sentences cut. She didn't get any perks or special treatment in jail because she was high profile and had to be made an example of. She did her time the hard way. And she had a psychotic break. This is punishment enough and she deserves to be able to make a new start with whatever income she has access to. As someone said earlier, its not like she can go out and get a job. She's been a huge cash cow for so many media organisations, it doesn't bother me if she gets a piece of it for herself so she can start over.