Nemesis
04-12-2004, 10:59 PM
April 13, 2004
AN official of a football club which lost seven team members in the Bali bomb blasts, has defended the club's actions in arranging an Easter football match against inmates at a prison.
Around 20 prisoners from Wooroloo Prison Farm, 60km east of Perth in Western Australia, were allowed to attend a nearby park over the weekend to play the match against Kingsley football club, before attending a barbecue with family and girlfriends.
The game was arranged by Kingsley official Kenneth Pearce, at the behest of his son Duane, a survivor of the Sari Club blast who is currently serving a three-year sentence at the prison for drug dealing.
Following reports in the local media, Mr Pearce said today the club had wanted to repay the community for their generosity in the wake of the October 2001 bombings.
He said he had been so angered by the reports, he was considering lodging an official complaint with the Australian Press Council.
"Our club has been the beneficiary of huge public support over the past year and a half because of what happened in Bali, and the club thought it was great opportunity to be able to repay the community by helping to rehabilitate people," Mr Pearce told 6PR radio.
"It was a great game. There were 100 people there, and they got to see these prisoners in a different light to what they are being painted in the media.
"The consensus after the game was that the event was absolutely fantastic and they were really keen to do it again."
The minimum security prisoners, including Pearce, enjoyed a barbecue and mingled with girlfriends, children and family members at the public oval on Saturday under the watch of two prison officers.
Pearce reportedly caught up with friends and teammates from the club during the match.
Terry Simpson, executive director of prisons with the WA Department of Justice said the activity was a regular part of the prison's community re-entry program, occurring about four times a year.
"Participation in something like this is regarded as a privilege, and is based around your behaviour in the prison and your work ethic," Mr Simpson said.
In January, Pearce pleaded guilty in the Perth District Court to possessing more than 1200 ecstasy tablets and 600g of cannabis with intent to sell, after police searched his car and raided his home.
The court was told that after returning to Australia following the blast, Pearce suffered acute feelings of guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder, but continued dealing ecstasy in order to fund a trip back to Indonesia for the anniversary of the bombing.
AAP
news.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9267570%255E1702,00.html)
AN official of a football club which lost seven team members in the Bali bomb blasts, has defended the club's actions in arranging an Easter football match against inmates at a prison.
Around 20 prisoners from Wooroloo Prison Farm, 60km east of Perth in Western Australia, were allowed to attend a nearby park over the weekend to play the match against Kingsley football club, before attending a barbecue with family and girlfriends.
The game was arranged by Kingsley official Kenneth Pearce, at the behest of his son Duane, a survivor of the Sari Club blast who is currently serving a three-year sentence at the prison for drug dealing.
Following reports in the local media, Mr Pearce said today the club had wanted to repay the community for their generosity in the wake of the October 2001 bombings.
He said he had been so angered by the reports, he was considering lodging an official complaint with the Australian Press Council.
"Our club has been the beneficiary of huge public support over the past year and a half because of what happened in Bali, and the club thought it was great opportunity to be able to repay the community by helping to rehabilitate people," Mr Pearce told 6PR radio.
"It was a great game. There were 100 people there, and they got to see these prisoners in a different light to what they are being painted in the media.
"The consensus after the game was that the event was absolutely fantastic and they were really keen to do it again."
The minimum security prisoners, including Pearce, enjoyed a barbecue and mingled with girlfriends, children and family members at the public oval on Saturday under the watch of two prison officers.
Pearce reportedly caught up with friends and teammates from the club during the match.
Terry Simpson, executive director of prisons with the WA Department of Justice said the activity was a regular part of the prison's community re-entry program, occurring about four times a year.
"Participation in something like this is regarded as a privilege, and is based around your behaviour in the prison and your work ethic," Mr Simpson said.
In January, Pearce pleaded guilty in the Perth District Court to possessing more than 1200 ecstasy tablets and 600g of cannabis with intent to sell, after police searched his car and raided his home.
The court was told that after returning to Australia following the blast, Pearce suffered acute feelings of guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder, but continued dealing ecstasy in order to fund a trip back to Indonesia for the anniversary of the bombing.
AAP
news.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9267570%255E1702,00.html)