Asia-Pacific News
Australian teenager goes on trial in Bali drug case
Nov 1, 2011, 7:51 GMT
Denpasar, Indonesia - A 14-year-old Australian boy went on trial Tuesday on Indonesia's resort island of Bali for alleged possession of 3.6 grams of marijuana.
The boy wore a balaclava to protect his identity and was escorted by his mother at a closed-door hearing in Denpasar district court.
'The boy was not tense at all,' prosecutor I Gusti Putu Gede Atmaja said after the hearing. 'We told him we were all family.'
The boy faces three charges related drug possession, the most serious of which charge carries a six-year prison sentence.
But defence lawyer Muhammad Rifan said he was confident that the boy would avoid jail because his is a minor and his parents said they were seeking to have him treated for his cannabis use.
'Five witnesses will testify in his favour, including doctors and a psychiatrist,' Rifan said. 'We hope the trial will be over soon.'
The trial, which is closely watched in Australia, was adjourned until Friday.
The boy was arrested on October 4 outside a supermarket in Kuta, Bali's popular tourist strip.
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