A 14-year-old Australian boy caught with about A$25 ($32.70) of cannabis while on holiday in Bali has been sentenced to two months in prison.
Prosecutors had asked for a custodial sentence of three months in relation to a charge of use of an illegal drug. But the judge yesterday shaveda month off, delivering his ruling in a makeshift hearing room at the Denpasar District Court which for the first time during the trial was opened to the media. The teen was also fined 2000 rupiah (30c).
The boy was without the mask he has worn throughout the ordeal to shield his identity from the media, but was obscured by bodyguards and accompanied by his father as the decision was handed down.
The ruling takes into account time served since his arrest seven weeks ago, which means the boy will be released on December 4, after which he will be deported to Australia.
He has been in custody since he was arrested on October 4 in possession of 3.6g of cannabis when police swooped on him and a 13-year-old friend outside a supermarket near Kuta Beach.
Prosecutors sought a conviction in relation to the "drug use" charge after documents presented to the court, including medical records and a statement from the NSW Police, showed the teenager was a long-term cannabis user.
Under Indonesian law, people considered drug addicts or long-term users are often shown leniency. The teenager is likely to serve out the remainder of his sentence at an immigration detention centre in Jimbaran, about an hour's drive from the court.
