Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:00a.m.
The psychiatrist says Corby’s only hope is to be removed from Bali’s Kerobokan jail
By Amanda Gillies
Australia’s famous drug smuggler Schapelle Corby has gone insane and will not survive her 20 year sentence – according to a psychiatrist hired by the family to check her health.
In the last month she has tried twice to take her own life.
The psychiatrist says Corby’s only hope is to be removed from Bali’s Kerobokan jail.
A 32-year-old woman clinging to her teddy bear, talking in a baby voice, while listening to other voices in her head – Corby is clearly disturbed and, according to the psychiatrist, hanging on by a thread.
“She is hopeless, helpless, feels useless, alienated, removed from the rest of humanity,” says Dr Jonathan Phillips, one of Australia’s top psychiatrists.
“She is in a situation where she could easily move to kill herself.”
In the past month alone, Corby has twice attempted suicide.
“Schapelle has now cut herself severely and many times, on two occasions.”
Dr Phillips was commissioned by the Corby family to fly to Bali and assess Schapelle. He has since diagnosed severe depression, hallucinations, paranoia. She is incoherent, catatonic and psychotic.
When asked whether Corby is insane, Dr Phillips says by any normal definition of insane, “Schapelle is now sadly in that category.”
He is adamant she is not faking it.
“If she is bunging on this one, this is the cleverest deception a psychiatrist will ever see.”
The Corby family have now sent Dr Phillips’ 20 page report to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
They desperately want her to be brought back here on a prisoner exchange. But not everyone in Australia agrees it should happen – media polls show only about 45 percent support her.
But her sister Mercedes has told Australia to have heart.
“Whether you think Schapelle is innocent or guilty – this is about humanity.”
“She is in dire straits at this point in time,” says Dr Phillips.
There was some token good news for the former beauty student – last week her sentence was reduced by four months as part of Indonesian Independence Day celebrations.
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