Christian Beasley, one of two American prisoners who escaped from the Kerobokan jail in December last year, has been sentenced to five years in prison on Monday, March 5, as reported by Newsweek.
Beasley was first arrested at a post office in August last year after being caught with 5.7 grams of hashish.
The 32-year-old escaped by cutting the bars of the prison’s ceiling and using a ladder to climb the six-metre high wall. Authorities carried out a five-day manhunt before they arrested Beasley on the neighbouring island of Lombok.
After his recapture, Beasley was held in a police cell in Kuta before being transferred back to Kerobokan, where he said he suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of other cellmates and prison guards.
His mother, Rosalind, detailed the abuse her son suffered with Newsweek, substantiating the claims with photographic evidence showing bruises on her son’s face and burn marks on his legs.
“Prisoners made him do what he called a chicken walk, where you’re squatting and walking and he said they were kicking him and punching him while doing it. He said it was hard for him to breathe,” Rosalind said.
Beasley’s mother says there is a chance his sentence will be reduced on appeal.
“We are trying to figure out what course to take from here. An appeal would keep the matter in the courts. And it would offer the possibility, if the sentence could be reduced to one year or less on appeal, of allowing Christian to transfer to another prison,” she said.
Rosalind, who described her son as “a man who had trouble sleeping and used marijuana for medical purposes,” continues to fear for his safety.
“Perhaps scrutiny and public awareness will keep him safe,” she said “I like the idea of having people know he’s there, his life matters and I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. That’s my driving principle.”
Photo courtesy of Newsweek.com