An Adelaide woman who has been arrested and detained in Colombia for drug trafficking could face a “very terrifying experience” behind bars if she is convicted, the author of a book on South American prisons has warned.
Key points:
- Cassie Sainsbury’s family insists she was set up, could face 25 years in Colombian prison
- Australian author Rusty Young says conditions in South American prisons ‘can be pretty rough’
- Young says Sainsbury could struggle to access basic services in her cell
Cassie Sainsbury, 22, was arrested and detained after she was found in possession of 5.8 kilograms of cocaine at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota on April 12.
Her family maintains she was set up, but if charged and found guilty Ms Sainsbury could be sentenced to up to 25 years in a Colombian prison.
Australian author Rusty Young, who wrote Marching Powder — a book based on real-life experiences inside South American prisons — said overcrowding, dirty conditions, and sickness were a common experience for inmates.
“[I would be] very concerned. The conditions in South American prisons can be pretty rough at times,” Young said.
“[The male prisons] have guns and grenades and, in some cases there are wars between the various terrorist organisation members who have been caught.
“It’s obviously still a very terrifying experience compared to living in comfortable Australia.
“The prison that [Ms Sainsbury] is being held in I believe is called El Buen Pastor, which means ‘The Good Shepherd’, and is notoriously overcrowded.”
“You need to have strong legal representation.”
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