Feb. 13
INDONESIA:
Bali 9 cling to faith
Bali 9 members and their families yesterday attended a jail church service
as they counted down the hours to their verdicts.
The service in Kerobokan Jail involved lots of singing, accompanied by
electric guitars.
The 1st verdicts are to be delivered today and the remainder during the
next 2 days.
Members of the nine who have turned to God were pleased to have a service
conducted in English by an Australian minister.
Sydney pastor Mal Feebrey, who baptised Schapelle Corby in jail, has been
visiting the 9, lending them an ear and helping them with their Christian
faith.
Many of the 9 have renewed their faith and say their fate is in God's
hands. Among those who attended the service were the family of Brisbane
man Michael Czugaj.
Vicki Czugaj said it had meant a lot to have a service conducted by an
Australian. Her 20-year-old son faces a life sentence after he was caught
at Bali airport with heroin strapped to his body.
"He is looking good; he is excellent. He doesn't seem to be nervous," Ms
Czugaj said of her son. She said her son had just received a new bible
sent by someone at home.
Also at the church service were Matthew Norman and his mother, Robyn
Davis, along with alleged ringleader and godfather Andrew Chan.
Newcastle man Bob Lawrence, with his wife Jenny, were among the parents
and family members making their daily visit to the jail yesterday.
Mr Lawrence wants to take his only daughter home. But he is not expecting
miracles today when Renae becomes one of the first to hear her fate when
the court delivers its verdict and sentence.
But he, like Lawrence, 28, is hoping for the best. Prosecutors have
rewarded her for her co-operation with authorities and requested that she
be jailed for 20 years -- the lowest of the nine sentence requests, which
include two death penalties.
Mr Lawrence has not been in Bali since last August but said his daughter
appeared in better shape, physically and mentally.
Mr Lawrence said she had begun to adapt to jail and was not expecting any
miracles today. "It would be nice to take her home but it's no good
kidding ourselves," Mr Lawrence said.
"We are just hoping for the best."
And he said that while prosecutors had not demanded the death penalty, it
was never completely out of his mind.
Under Indonesian law prosecution demands are not binding on judges, who
can deliver a sentence that is higher or lower. But prosecution demands
are generally considered a good guide.
"I have never put that out of my mind," Mr Lawrence said, even though the
20-year demand was a big relief.
"We don't agree with the death penalty. Renae doesn't agree with it,
either. No one deserves the death penalty," Mr Lawrence said.
He said one of his main concerns was to ensure his daughter's health was
good and that she was able to eat properly.
Michele Stephens, whose son Martin learns the court's decision tomorrow,
said the family had plenty of faith, which was helping them.
"Just knowing that it is out of our hands and I am trusting in God's hands
-- trusting that everything's going to work out fine. We just have to
trust. I am not pre-empting anything," Mrs Stephens said.
She said that neither she nor Martin was nervous about the decision.
"Martin is fine. He is not nervous; he seems to be as he has always been,"
she said.
Prosecutors have demanded a life sentence for Stephens.
(source: Herald Sun)
