Nadine Higgins on Schapelle Corby and David Bain: Do they deserve to just be left alone?

Do David Bain and Schapelle Corby deserve to be left alone? Nadine Higgins asks.

Opinion

This weekend we learned two high-profile people are attempting to make themselves new lives in Australia.

One - Schapelle Corby, convicted of smuggling drugs into Bali in 2004 - the other, David Bain, convicted in 1995 of murdering his family ... and then acquitted of those murders in 2009.

Both have been to jail and both have been at the centre of cases that have fascinated people for years. Thus both have been the subject media attention that shows no sign of letting up.

My question to you is - when, if ever, do they deserve to just be left alone?

Let's deal first with Schapelle Corby. She is of course a convicted drug smuggler - even though she's always protested her innocence.

Through a spokeswoman she thanked supporters and asked for privacy. Fat chance.

Her return to Australia was reported on in the same minute detail as her case has been for the past 13 years.

To be fair it was totally bizarre, even comical: a decoy flight, a decoy Schapelle, decoy trucks, a strangely masked man, a stop at KFC and coverage of the convoy from the air a la the OJ Simpson chase in LA all those years ago.

It's almost as if she actually did want privacy.

But she and her family long courted the media before they decided they'd had enough of them ... and given she started an Instagram page the same day her parole was up. I'd hazard a guess she has plans to maintain a public profile - and profit from it.

If she courts it, she's fair game. I for one can't work out why the woman is still interesting - but her return is the top story everywhere and she's got 100,000 Instagram followers in the blink of an eye so perhaps I'm alone in that.

So what about David Bain?

The media here recently revealed that his name is no longer David Bain, it's William Davies.

It's been reported in great detail what he's planning to do now, that his house is for house, for how much, that he's planning on moving his family to Australia. One publication even reported the meaning and origin of his now former name, David. Son of David from the Hebrew origin meaning "beloved" .. if you're interested .. but I've got to say, I'm not.

While he might continue to fascinate you, I'm not sure we can continue to claim it's in the public interest to report his every move.

He was convicted and spent 13 years in prison, yes - but he's been acquitted, he's been paid out almost $1 million - there is no further legal action pending. Whatever your opinion - and everyone seems to have one - it's done, it's over, it can be consigned to the history books. Let him live his life in Australia - I for one don't want to hear about the birth of his next child, or how much his house sells for.

But I imagine we'll hear it anyway - just ask the family of Jon Benet Ramsey, or Madeline McCann, or Scott Guy whether it's every really over.

In any case with a question mark, the case is never really closed - and the media and the public will always be watching.