Cape Town – South African woman, Ashley Oosthuizen (23), had her sentence in a Thai prison reduced to 33.4 years but has not ceased her bid to regain her freedom, lodging an appeal to the Thai Supreme Court.
The George-born Oosthuizen was a learner at Outeniqua High School and left for Thailand in March 2018 after she matriculated, pursuing her dreams of travelling.
She was arrested on October 8, 2020. Various web platforms are dedicated to updating people on Oosthuizen’s challenges in Thailand and her well-being. They raise awareness about Oosthuizen and help people understand how she ended up in a Thai prison.
According to the Facebook page, A voice for Ashley Oosthuizen, Oosthuizen was working at a restaurant, ‘Hot in the Buscuit’ which was owned by her boyfriend, Tristan Nettles, at the time, when a package arrived.
She signed for the package, not knowing it contained the narcotic MDMA. She was immediately detained and sentenced to death, which was later reduced to life imprisonment, and was most recently reduced to 33.4 years.
The Saturday Star reported that Oosthuizen’s mom, Lynnette Blignaut said that Oosthuizen was doing well, and was in high spirits.
“She is doing well. She has her ups and downs like all of us now and again but is very positive and in high spirits.”
According to freeashley.org, Oosthuizen was arrested and charged in Koh Samui, Thailand for a crime that Nettles and his friends committed.
Nettles was alleged to have been an international dark web drug dealer who worked as a high school science teacher at Panyadee International School in Koh Samui from 2017 until the summer of 2020.
He was reportedly an admitted drug dealer who had been caught selling drugs repeatedly since he was 12 years old.
“When Tristan met Ashley for the first time at a Halloween party in 2019, she was only 19 years old. He was 32,” the website said.
Blignaut reportedly said that Oosthuizen has realised that Nettles was a manipulator.
“She has finally realised in August what a great a manipulator he is and has slowly managed to loosen herself from this terrible grip by the grace of God. He has unfortunately managed to get hold of the app we communicate with her. So now it will be her test to ignore these letters and not get sucked back into his grip. She has told him she wants nothing to do with him anymore but he just continues. We can only pray about this situation. Unless someone has been in the same situation, nobody can understand what it’s like,” Blignaut was quoted as saying.
Speaking about the appeal, Blignaut said: “Chances are extremely good for the SC (Supreme Court) to accept the appeal. We will, in due time, comment more on the appeal, etc.”
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Picture: Facebook/A voice for Ashley Oosthuizen
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
