Schapelle Corby, Drug Trafficker and Australian Obsession, Returns Home
"She’s a celebrity prisoner, which is a relatively new phenomenon." "Our Schapelle," as some Australians
call her, has long been seen as more than just a criminal or — as some consider her — a victim.
At the same time, the obsession may reflect the way some Australians — or at least
Australian news outlets — view Indonesia, and the ways those views are evolving.
In one video, journalists ran alongside Mercedes Corby, Schapelle Corby’s sister, as
someone asked: "How’s Schapelle?" "Better if you would leave her alone," she said.
Anthony Lambert said that There’s not very many Australian drug traffickers that you could say are media stars,
In Indonesia, Ms. Corby’s departure has mostly been greeted with a sentiment of "good riddance." "If you talk to people in the markets or in food stalls, no one knows about it," said Anton Muhajir, who writes a blog on environmental issues
and current events in Indonesia, and has reported on the Corby case for foreign news organizations.
