Any sympathy for the British drug mule in Georgia?

[mids2019]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14723481/drug-mule-suspect-company-director-Chinese-retailers-Amazon.html

I was reading about this girl and actually do have a little symapthy. She is obviously vain, stupid, misguidedly ambitious but I don't know whether she is real player in the drug trade and has probably been groomed into carrying drugs by men promising her the earth.

The penalties for drug smuggling are understandably harsh on Georgia but should the UK try and get her to serve a sentence in the UK?

I actually have a lot of sympathy for her, whilst acknowledging she's a criminal and was aware of carrying drugs.
She's the epitome of stupid. I know 18, but no way would I let my daughter travel around the world on her own at that age.

Flashing the cash and bonnie and Clyde refs on SM won't help her. Couldn't get more stupid really. But it's a horrible fate .

18 is not a child. They absolutely have developed enough to understand consequences. Just like if an 18 year old decides to break into someone's house and steal or assault someone, they are old enough to be aware of the consequences and made that decision.

There is a massive difference between 12 and 18. When mine were 12 I was still picking them up from football, managing their diets, checking homework, supervising bedtime.
When they were 18 they went off to university. I stopped doing all of the above.

"That poor girl" my arse.

I have a daughter not much older and a son not much younger. Neither of them are involved in anything remotely like this and neither would even dream of selling their identity to Chinese criminals for £550. And yes, if either suddenly had the cash to be paying for a month in Thailand I would be asking lots of questions.

Being a bit stupid as a teen is spending your wages on shite from a designer trainer brand, or drinking too much at a house party and puking in a flowerbed. Not smuggling drugs. She is not only stupid, she is greedy and completely lacking in any sort of moral compass, and her idiot parents trying to justify her behaviour are just as bad.

He was caught dealing in Dubai where he lived. Equally stupid, but different to smuggling

No sympathy for her at all! She has been off round Thailand and other countries for ages, it’s quite clear this is not her first time smuggling. Her mum definitely knew she was doing something dodgy, what 18 year old has funds to travel abroad for months on end? I’m glad she was caught and I hope they make an example of her.

I know in the way of maturity there is a massive difference but I was thinking 6 years older than my daughter. I’d really try to stop my dd going anywhere that far away at 18. I only have 1 child and I have not experienced the wonderful teen years yet so guess I better hold on to my hat.

She is an 18 year old adult not a child.

She sold her passport/identity for money. She introduced others to the above illegal activity.

She has attempted to carry a significant amount of illegal drugs through 2 or more countries. Drugs bring misery to those addicted and can lead to other criminal activities.

She (reportedly)made social media posts related to her actions.

If she is found guilty she should expect to be treated the same as any other person who is found guilty in Georgia.

She shouldn't suddenly wave her British passport, which, ID she previously sold and expect preferential treatment.

Do I have sympathy? Yes, maybe a smidgeon.

Ultimately, we are responsible for our own actions. We make choices and have to live with the consequences.

The issue is there are some very old 18 year olds and some which are still like children.

I know some people in their mid twenties who still act like they are 13 and I know some 13 year olds who could probably move out and get a job. We are all influenced by the people we know.

this girl was old enough to travel to far flung places without parents accompanying her and so she’s old enough to know that drug smuggling is a serious and very ill advised thing to do. Let’s face it, we all knew a girl a bit like her at school.

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'Poor little white girl" - I guess.

How could you stop your daughter at 18?

I feel MN is very too lax on drugs because "they all did it" and how have "responsible jobs"

If you're still acting 13 when you're in your mid twenties, there's a problem. You still have adult responsibilities.

You will have given her a moral compass. You will have taught her about greed and crime. You will have safeguarded her so that she knows appropriate boundaries. If you feel she's too young at 18 to travel on her own, talk it through and give her guidance.

Her dad lives in Vietnam, she flew to Thailand alone for a solo trip. What 18yo does that? Her grandad says ‘She’s not daft, she’s an intelligent girl. Why has she done it? Has someone dangled money in front of her?’

I think she knew exactly what she was doing and thought she would get away with it.

Yes, ignoring the misery, poverty and wasted lives as a consequence.

Yeah I wonder 🤔.....Nope!

Exactly. The too stupid to live argument only seems to be trotted out for some.

This is such a good point. Every time that lame old line about underdeveloped brains until 25 blah blah blah, I look around me and see young carers looking after my mum with such kindness, the young paramedic who saved my dad's life, wonderful young teachers, my young neighbour training to be a firefighter. And all the other young people somehow managing to hold down jobs, run their homes, drive their cars, contribute to society. So nah, that excuse doesn't really cut it.

She was smuggling physical drugs. £200 000 worth The Chinese Amazon thing seems to be a bit of a red herring

That was a brilliant series! I haven't seen it since it was first shown. Wonder if it's available anywhere?

Exactly. It's just an excuse and it doesn't cut it.

I feel sympathy for her parents.

Banged up abroad is still on you tube

It's indicative of her mindset - supporting a scam company and selling her ID for £500.