A case of moving on for Corby

Schapelle Corby has spent many years in Kerobokan jail since being sentenced in May 2005

After hearing news yesterday that convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby had been granted clemency by the Indonesian president, slashing her 20 year prison sentence by five years, I wasn’t sure what to think.

I remember being on uni holidays, chilling out at a girlfriend’s house when we turned on the TV to watch her being sentenced. It was pretty gut-wrenching because whether guilty or not, I felt so bad for her as she wept and begged for her pardon.

Being told you’re going to be locked up in a foreign jail for 20 years isn’t something anyone would like to hear.

Now all I can think of is what’s next? Her family is now saying she could be home as early as August if she is granted parole – but what is she going home to? Haters? Supporters? The media has played a huge role in how the nation has formed its opinion of this young woman and I am assuming that they will continue to.

No doubt there will be endless magazine stories, television and talk-back radio segments with all of the outlets scrambling to pay her top dollar for the elusive ‘exclusive’ tell-all interview. There will most probably be a book deal in there somewhere…

So in answering my own question, Schapelle will probably find herself very busy. Her mother was quoted today saying that she hoped her daughter would spend a lot of time once she was home just relaxing on the beach close to her Gold Coast home and go through a ‘cleansing’ period.

I always thought she was guilty by association and part of me feels bad for her – she has gone through a lot. When we went to Bali on our honeymoon in 2010 the airport had ‘wrapping’ services so that you could wrap your bag up in plastic to avoid anyone smuggling goods into your luggage. I couldn’t help but think of her case when I saw this.

She may have made some mistakes in life, but I hope she can heal and move forward. Despite Bob Carr denying he did a deal with the Indonesian Government to secure her early release, I think that this is good news for Schapelle and her family and hopefully will put an end to this saga and I wish her all the best.