Friday, April 15, 2005

Remember the dingo?

The one that ate Lindy Chamberlain's baby[^]?

Well I don't actually believe a dingo ate the baby. At the time, 1980, I infuriated some of my friends by refusing to have an opinion on the case. As I said at the time; I wasn't there, I didn't sit in the court reviewing the evidence and I didn't know what to believe. But in later years I didn't think it was likely that Lindy had killed her baby, or if she had, that she'd have chosen that method. As a student of murder methods (you didn't know I've studied that subject did you) it seemed unlikely. Mothers who kill their babies almost overwhelmingly do it in 'gentle' ways. Pillows to stop breathing and suchlike. They never draw blood. So, on the balance of probabilities, if I'd been on that jury, I'd have voted for not guilty.

Enter Schappelle Corby. If you're not an Australian you've probably never heard of her. She's on trial in Indonesia charged with smuggling 4.1 kg of 'high grade cannabis' into Indonesia. I think, based solely upon what I've read of the case in the Australian on-line media, that she's not guilty. See here[^] for one report. I've been following this case in the online media ever since it started.

I can only imagine (imperfectly at that) what she's going through.

I don't know what else to say.

[later update] here's a good explanation[^] of the case
[/later update]

No comments: