Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Schapelle Corby's family has renewed its fight to have the convicted drug smuggler returned to Australia after a top psychiatrist warned she will not survive her sentence if she remains in Bali's Kerobokan Prison.
Associate Professor Jonathan Phillips visited Corby in prison earlier this month and says the former beauty student is "hanging on by a thread".
Dr Phillips, former president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, says the 32-year-old will continue to deteriorate unless she is moved.
"She is now helpless, hopeless, feels useless, she feels alienated, she feels removed from the rest of humanity," Dr Phillips told the Seven Network.
"By any normal definition of insane, Schapelle is sadly in that category.
"She is in a situation where she could easily move forward to kill herself.
"Schapelle has now cut herself quite severely and many times over on two occasions."
Dr Phillips says the best option would be to have Corby transferred as a prisoner to Australia and treated in a secure hospital setting.
But that is unlikely to occur while long-running negotiations between Indonesia and Australia over a prisoner transfer deal remain stalled.
Corby's sister Mercedes said Dr Phillips' 20-page report was "terrifying" for the family, who plan to send it to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and other political leaders.
"We hope it might finally spur the Australian Government into action," she said in a statement.
"We have to get proper treatment for Schapelle, outside a jail environment and preferably in Australia, or she will die.
"That's what the doctor says and, sadly, I know it's true because Schapelle has already harmed herself twice."
It no longer matters if Schapelle is innocent or guilty, Mercedes said.
"This is about basic humanity. It's a matter of life and death. I'm begging Mr Rudd and anybody else who has the power to help - please bring Schapelle home so she can get well again."
The family arranged for Dr Phillips to assess Corby, with New Idea saying his visit to Bali was organised with the assistance of Sane Australia and backing from the magazine.
Dr Phillips said he was appalled that other prisoners took responsibility for giving Corby her medication.
"I've never known a similar situation before and the things that might go wrong are beyond reckoning," he told New Idea.
And he had no doubt her condition is genuine.
"If she is bunging-on this illness, it is the cleverest deception that a psychiatrist will ever see," Dr Phillips told Seven.
Corby, 32, was sentenced to 20 years' jail after she was caught at Bali's airport in October 2004 with 4.1kg of marijuana in her boogie board bag.
She was last week given a four-month sentence cut as part of Indonesian Independence Day celebrations.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: abc.net.au
Copyright: 2009 ABC
Contact: Contact ABC News - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Website: Corby 'won't survive sentence' without help - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Associate Professor Jonathan Phillips visited Corby in prison earlier this month and says the former beauty student is "hanging on by a thread".
Dr Phillips, former president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, says the 32-year-old will continue to deteriorate unless she is moved.
"She is now helpless, hopeless, feels useless, she feels alienated, she feels removed from the rest of humanity," Dr Phillips told the Seven Network.
"By any normal definition of insane, Schapelle is sadly in that category.
"She is in a situation where she could easily move forward to kill herself.
"Schapelle has now cut herself quite severely and many times over on two occasions."
Dr Phillips says the best option would be to have Corby transferred as a prisoner to Australia and treated in a secure hospital setting.
But that is unlikely to occur while long-running negotiations between Indonesia and Australia over a prisoner transfer deal remain stalled.
Corby's sister Mercedes said Dr Phillips' 20-page report was "terrifying" for the family, who plan to send it to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and other political leaders.
"We hope it might finally spur the Australian Government into action," she said in a statement.
"We have to get proper treatment for Schapelle, outside a jail environment and preferably in Australia, or she will die.
"That's what the doctor says and, sadly, I know it's true because Schapelle has already harmed herself twice."
It no longer matters if Schapelle is innocent or guilty, Mercedes said.
"This is about basic humanity. It's a matter of life and death. I'm begging Mr Rudd and anybody else who has the power to help - please bring Schapelle home so she can get well again."
The family arranged for Dr Phillips to assess Corby, with New Idea saying his visit to Bali was organised with the assistance of Sane Australia and backing from the magazine.
Dr Phillips said he was appalled that other prisoners took responsibility for giving Corby her medication.
"I've never known a similar situation before and the things that might go wrong are beyond reckoning," he told New Idea.
And he had no doubt her condition is genuine.
"If she is bunging-on this illness, it is the cleverest deception that a psychiatrist will ever see," Dr Phillips told Seven.
Corby, 32, was sentenced to 20 years' jail after she was caught at Bali's airport in October 2004 with 4.1kg of marijuana in her boogie board bag.
She was last week given a four-month sentence cut as part of Indonesian Independence Day celebrations.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: abc.net.au
Copyright: 2009 ABC
Contact: Contact ABC News - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Website: Corby 'won't survive sentence' without help - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
