Mom, 57, faces execution by a gunshot to the guts in Taiwan for drug smuggling – however blames her ex-husband after 15lb of cocaine and heroin is present in her suitcase

An Australian mom of 5 is dealing with the dying penalty in Taiwan after she was allegedly caught with a stash of cocaine hidden in her suitcase.

Debbie Voulgaris, 57, was arrested at Taoyuan Worldwide Airport in December after the medicine have been allegedly present in black plastic baggage inside her baggage.

Taiwanese police allege she was carrying 15lbs of the drug, which – they are saying – she initially ‘vehemently denied’ having any data of.

She later claimed her ex-husband John was behind the scheme, police say.

Ms Voulgaris’s lawyer Leon Huang mentioned it was ‘important’ her ex took the stand as he was the one one who might affirm her claims.

Beneath Taiwan’s strict authorized system, capital punishment stays authorized – regardless of repeal makes an attempt. The dying penalty will be imposed for a protracted listing of crimes, together with homicide, treason, terrorism, excessive circumstances of rape and theft, and drug trafficking.

Though Taiwan has studied different strategies of execution, such because the deadly injection, executions are at the moment carried out by shootings utilizing a handgun.

Condemned prisoners are sedated and put face down on a mattress and shot 3 times by means of the guts. If the prisoner has opted to donate their inner organs, then they’re as a substitute executed by a single bullet to the again of the top.

Even when she is just not handed the dying penalty, the mom is dealing with minimal of 5 years behind bars, however is also taking a look at life in jail. 

Voulgaris was allegedly handed the class one medicine in Malaysia round December 10 earlier than she flew to Taiwan, the ABC reported.

The Aussie mum was allegedly paid $US1,800 (£1,400) to take the medicine along with her lodging and transport prices.

The medicine had a road worth of about $1.25million (£1 million) based on Chen Po-chuan, the captain of Taiwan’s Legal Investigation Brigade. 

Mr Po-chaun mentioned Voulgaris informed authorities she was in Taiwan for a vacation. 

He mentioned officers had been despatched to her resort to see if anybody got here to gather the medicine, however nobody had arrived. 

Voulgaris has been detained in a Taiwanese jail since her arrest.

Her lawyer Leon Huang mentioned his shopper was a ‘good-natured individual’ who ‘believed folks simply’ and had been used as a drug ‘mule’. 

‘Based mostly on her description… it appeared that primary, Ms Debbie Voulgaris was not conscious of the character of her travelling,’ Mr Huang mentioned. 

‘And quantity two, she had no concept of what is positioned inside and underneath her baggage, as a result of there’s a hidden compartment and he or she wasn’t conscious of that.’

Mr Huang mentioned that as a result of his shopper had admitted guilt early, whereas nonetheless sustaining she did not know concerning the medicine, she might keep away from the dying penalty. 

‘If the court docket finds somebody worthy of sympathy, like Debbie’s case, usually, they’d not wish to provide the choice of dying sentence,’ he mentioned. 

Taoyuan District Prosecutors alleged Voulgaris was a part of a ‘drug transport syndicate’ in paperwork submitted to a Taiwanese court docket.

‘Though the defendant confessed to the crime throughout the court docket’s preparatory proceedings, it’s famous that she had beforehand vehemently denied the crime throughout the investigation and detention interrogation by this court docket, and her statements have been inconsistent,’ the paperwork state. 

‘Notably, the defendant claimed that the co-conspirator, John, who instructed her to deliver class one narcotics to Taiwan, is her ex-husband, indicating a detailed relationship. 

‘The defendant and her lawyer requested that John be summoned to testify throughout the preparatory proceedings, implying that there stays a threat of collusion with John earlier than his testimony.’ 

In Taiwan, class one medicine confer with heroin, morphine, opium, cocaine, and their spinoff merchandise.

John’s actual whereabouts are presently unclear. Mr Huang mentioned that the authorized group was looking for to subpoena him.

Voulgaris has been denied visits from members of the family however will be visited by her authorized group and officers from the Australian Workplace in Taipei. 

An utility for her launch was denied in March, with judges Cai Yirong and Hou Jingyun ruling there was substantial proof she was a flight threat. 

Her legal professionals had argued their shopper hadn’t spoken with household in three months, was struggling to adapt to Chinese language meals and couldn’t converse Chinese language. 

Nevertheless, the judges dominated these have been ‘not components to be thought-about when figuring out the need of detention’. 

‘It’s famous that the defendant’s daughter is conscious of John’s contact info, subsequently it can’t be dominated out that the defendant might use her daughter to contact John, making this request [for contact] ungrantable,’ they mentioned. 

Voulgaris will subsequent seem in court docket in August. She might face the dying penalty or life in jail if discovered responsible or a minimal of 5 years behind bars.

Nevertheless, the possibilities she receives the dying penalty are unlikely after Taiwan’s Constitutional Court docket dominated final August that imposing a life sentence or the dying penalty for drug offences is partly unconstitutional. 

A Division of Overseas Affairs and Commerce spokesman mentioned a detained Australian girl in Taiwan was receiving consular help. 

A change.org petition for Voulgaris’s launch has obtained 3,000 signatures.

‘Anybody who is aware of her or has met her, understands the pure, variety coronary heart she has,’ the creator of the petition wrote. 

‘She is a mom to 5 youngsters and he or she might be dealing with a dying penalty or life in jail. Please signal the petition to assist in the direction of the liberty of an harmless, pure-hearted mom.’

On April 23 this 12 months, Taiwan’s constitutional court docket debated debated the dying penalty and whether or not it was appropriate with the nation’s structure.

This was after rights teams Amnesty Worldwide and the World Coalition Towards the Demise Penalty challenged the constitutionality of the follow within the nation.

When the problem was introduced ahead in 2023, Eeling Chiu, Director of Amnesty Worldwide Taiwan, mentioned: ‘This historic problem to the constitutionality of the dying penalty in Taiwan is a chance to not be missed. 

‘The dying penalty is a violation of human rights and human dignity and have to be consigned to the historical past books as soon as and for all. The safety of human rights can’t be compromised on.’

In line with Focus Taiwan, the talk this 12 months lasted 5 hours.

Attorneys representing either side lined a number of subjects, together with whether or not the dying penalty violates the appropriate to life and equality, the precept of proportionality – in addition to the United Nations’ treaty on civil rights.

Three justices recused themselves from the case, leaving 12. They’re anticipated to make a judgement in July, the information outlet reported.

Though there’s a lengthy listing underneath Taiwan regulation of crimes punishable by the dying penalty, all executions within the nation for the reason that early 2000s have been for homicide. 

Previous to 2000, Taiwan had a comparatively excessive fee of executions, however controversial circumstances within the Nineteen Nineties and altering attitudes in the direction of capital punishment have seen the variety of executions come down for the reason that flip of the century.

Three have been carried out in 2005, after which none have been carried out between 2006 and 2009. Executions resumed in 2010, with 35 being carried out since.

Amnesty Worldwide mentioned in 2023 that no executions have been carried out within the nation since 2020.

Nevertheless, based on the World Coalition Towards the Demise Penalty, 49 individuals are presently underneath the sentence of dying.

In line with a examine within the Asian Journal of Criminology, round 80 % of the Taiwanese public help the usage of capital punishment.

The execution course of entails among the most senior Taiwanese officers.

A judicial execution requires a last sentence from Taiwan’s supreme court docket and a warrant of execution signed by the Minister of Justice – who additionally points a last and secret execution date.

As soon as the warrant is issued, the prisoner have to be executed inside three days.

If new proof involves gentle, or proof of a procedural flaw, then the execution date could also be delayed. Nevertheless, this has solely ever occurred as soon as.

Taiwan’s president also can award clemency, however once more, that is uncommon.

Demise row prisoners are recognized to be saved in circumstances which can be harsher than these on the whole inhabitants. It’s believed they’re now not shackled for twenty-four hours, as was as soon as the case, however they’re solely allowed out of their cells for half-hour a day.

Executions happen at 7.30pm and are carried out in secret. No one is knowledgeable of the date, together with the condemned.

When the time comes, they’re dropped at the execution vary the place the prisoner’s identification is confirmed by a particular court docket, which may additionally report any final phrases.

The prisoner is then served a final meal, which often features a bottle of kaoliang wine, earlier than a robust anaesthetic is run to trigger unconsciousness.

The prisoner is then laid flat on the bottom and shot, both by means of the guts or – if they’re an organ doner – by means of the mind stem underneath their ear. It’s custom for the condemned to position a banknote of their leg irons as a tip for the executioners.