Two British Women Held In Peruvian Prison On Charges Of Drug Smuggling

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2389737/Terrified-British-girls-locked-Peruvian-hellhole-jail-smuggling-1-5million-cocaine-hysterical-eaten-seven-days.html

Has anyone any sympathy for these two, if the charges against them are proven to be true?

[andy-hughes]

Totally.

Leaving aside the Mail's usual spin - accenting the women's (they are not 'girls'!) physical attraction with a load of irrelavent photos, and the fact that one of the women's parents live in an expensive bungalow (rich enough to know better is the unspoken tutting from the Mail looking over its glasses as usual) - this is an example of the expoitation of naiive women by professional drug cartels.

That is not to say they are innocent, or should not be punished. They have been foolish and reckless, but, as I say, probably immature and naiive, and for that I sympethise with them.

I doubt the authorities would share my view - nor would I expect them to - but that is my answer to your Question.

[sp1814]

AOG

Not if the charges are proven true - but I have every sympathy for them if the charges are false - because if they are innocent, any time in a Peruvian jail must be pretty terrifying.

[sp1814]

andy-hughes

You noticed that too...the value of the parents' house.

[andy-hughes]

I have sp - it's the Mail's way of saying that nice middle-class parents should raise their 'gels' to behave better. In fact, as anyone with adult children knows (I have three) - they don't always make the decisions you would wish for them, but then, I am not in the business of moralising for a living like the Mail does.

One of their culumnists' ramblings carries the strapline 'Are you thinking what she's thinking?' to which my mental response as I turn the page, having tired of this woman's reactionary drivel years ago is 'God, I hope not!'

[Jeza]

If true what silly silly girls. Free holiday in Peru is going to prove a life changing mistake. Sympathy, yes if they are innocent. If guilty they will have to pay for their stupidity.

[emmie]

if proven no sympathy at all, however one thing about these drug mules is many seem to be dupes..

[ToraToraTora]

Silly silly girls! I have some sympathy even if they are guilty but as we are often being told by our Liberal elite friends in these sorts of discussion, their country their rules. No doubt the PM will have to dish out some bauble or other to get the 2 daft bints home!

[LazyGun]

Little to feel any sympathy for, as far as the story goes. Trying to smuggle cocaine,you take the risk of harsh penalties.

[IggyB]

It doesn't seem like a very well planned crime does it - anyone spending a season working in Ibiza but then travelling to Peru before returning to Spain is going to attract action whether they are innocent or not.

[horseshoes]

No, none at all. I'm quite sure they have made comments about drug addicts, and how the whole drug problem here is awful and dreadful and a blight on our society, so to assist in perpetuating it is ludicrous. They can't be that stupid to think theirs actions have no impact.

[youngmafbog]

No sympathy (if guilty). If you cant do the crime dont do the crime. They will learn what a proper jail is like. No right-on liberals to bleat about them over there!

[joko]

i never understand why people do this- there is so much about the penalties you have to be an idiot to risk it.

plus it seems from the wording that they just put it in their case!
No concealment etc. how stupid can you be?

also sounds like the drugs were only in one girls case - so why is the other locked up too?

can you imagine going away somewhere and finding out your idiot friend has smuggled drugs without telling you?

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// Leaving aside the Mail's usual spin - accenting the women's (they are not 'girls'!) physical attraction with a load of irrelavent photos, and the fact that one of the women's parents live in an expensive bungalow (rich enough to know better is the unspoken tutting from the Mail looking over its glasses as usual) - this is an example of the expoitation of naiive women by professional drug cartels. ///

"LEAVING ASIDE THE MAIL'S USUAL SPIN" Blimey Andy if you left that aside you would be left with little to say.

How dare the Daily Mail describe them as "GIRLS" although these other publications have also chose to call them such, they even dared to describe one as a nightclub hostess, dear, dear me what next.

But if you find the fact that the Daily Mail chose to publish this story rather disturbing, please feel free to browse over these other publications.

http://news.sky.com/story/1127017/michaella-mccollum-connolly-arrested-in-peru

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/12/peru-drug-arrests-michaella-mccollum-connolly-melissa-reid-peru_n_3742235.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/michaella-mccollum-connolly-could-get-25-year-in-peru-jail-if-convicted-of-drug-trafficking-29490341.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/family-irish-woman-arrested-peru-2151070

The Mirror also chose to print a photograph of what class A drugs look like.

http://i1.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/article2095344.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/cocaine-2095344.jpg

[andy-hughes]

AOG - ""LEAVING ASIDE THE MAIL'S USUAL SPIN" Blimey Andy if you left that aside you would be left with little to say."

I don't understand the point you are making AOG - you asked if anyone has any sympathy - and I answered.

"How dare the Daily Mail describe them as "GIRLS" although these other publications have also chose to call them such, they even dared to describe one as a nightclub hostess, dear, dear me what next."

Describing a woman as a nightclub hostess is confirming her employment, not quite the same as referring to a woman who in all aspects, cultural, social, sexual and legal is a woman with the right to vote, drink, marry, fight in a war, etc. That does not make her a 'girl' - but if the Mail chooses to describe her as such, they can 'dare' all they like.

"But if you find the fact that the Daily Mail chose to publish this story rather disturbing, please feel free to browse over these other publications."

Where did I intimate that i found the Mail's decicion to publish the story 'disturbing'? I merely took issue with their individual presentation of the facts, including the irrelevencies of photographs, and the cost of the parents' home.

You asked a question, I anwered it - I fail to see what your post means, please elucidate.

[andy-hughes]

joko - "i never understand why people do this- there is so much about the penalties you have to be an idiot to risk it."

For the same reason people smoke, drink too much, speed in cars, dive into freezing reservoirs on boiling hot days - because they never consider that the consequences will come down on them.

Imagine you are a rather naive tourist, and a handsome man offers you a holiday if you transport some packages for him - no risk, they never check, easy money, back in no time, why not.

Now imagine yourself, and a shady foreign type sidles up to you and says "If you transport these drugs for me, i will pay you a fraction of their value to me, and the chances are you will be caught and imprisoned in a country that has a serious anti-drugs policy and youl will be lucky if you survive. But I don't care because dumb fools like you are a dime a dozen and the loss of my drugs is factored into their price, and why should I care if you get caught, in an hour I won't even remember your name ..."

How do you think the conversation went?

[naomi24]

I would describe them as girls, and if they’re innocent I have every sympathy. However, if they’re not, then they are the authors of their own misfortune. I’m puzzled though. If they intended working around the Mediterranean for the summer, I have to question what induced them to fly to Peru? That’s a bit of a long leap from Ibiza in more ways than one! The value of the house is not extraordinary. Perhaps the paper mentioned it to illustrate that this girl is from an ordinary respectable background.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - I think you will find the inducement is outlined in my previous post - easy money, no risk, lots of people doing it never check, blah blah.

The Mail always places value (literally) on things like this - it likes to infer that these are not some working class chavs, but 'decently brought up gels who ought to know better tut tut ...'

Similarly, it will always publish a large photo of any photogenic woman in any of its news stories, but not if she is not.

Funny that.

[albaqwerty]

No, no sympathy.

Reported on BBC News Scotland at lunchtime, the mother of the lass from Lenzie thought she was in Ibiza.
Her facebook page showed her enjoying life in Ibiza and to discover she is in Peru came as a bit of a shock.

[naomi24]

Don't want to be judgemental, but it does sound a bit fishy.

[sandyRoe]

Anyone remember this from a few years back? Carrying parcels that don't belong to you onto flights is a seriously liberty threatening action.
I think all these young wonem have been tricked into doing what they did.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/jul/13/drugsandalcohol.drugstrade