A Sunshine Coast man whose stepson was imprisoned in Bali for drug possession has offered support to the family of Bodhi Risby-Jones, who was arrested in Indonesia following an alleged violent rampage last week.
In 2019, Ashley Robinson's stepson, Brendon Luke Johnsson, was handed a five-year sentence for cocaine possession in Bali.
Mr Robinson, a former chief executive of the Alexandra Headland Surf Club, said when he heard of Bodhi's story he "immediately felt for all parties".
"I felt for the Indonesians more than the man from Noosa, to be honest with you," Mr Robinson said.
"I certainly feel for Bodhi's family.
"I worry about Australians and the way they behave in Bali."
Reaching out to the Risby-Jones family, Mr Robinson offered his assistance.
"They need someone that knows the law and how to negotiate something that's fair and reasonable for everybody," he said.
'Own your mistake'
Commenting on his own experience, Mr Robinson said the family should be conciliatory when dealing with Indonesian officials.
"It sounds crazy, but the advice I got was to thank the authorities for looking after my son — I think that was very helpful," Mr Robinson said.
"We weren't the Aussies whingeing about what's happened to us; we were the Aussies saying we made a mistake and thank you for looking after our son."
Mr Robinson said the day he recited those sentiments, the Indonesian officials and media treated him and his family with respect.
"[Bodhi Risby-Jones] may have done the wrong thing, so he should try and reconcile with the people that it's affected," Mr Robinson said.
"Don't plead 'poor me, poor me, poor Australian'.
"If you've done the wrong thing, admit it — own your mistake and try to reconcile with the people that it's affected and negotiate with the authorities."
Consular assistance can be limited
Commenting on the support received from the Australian government, Mr Robinson said his son was treated fairly but that he wasn't a "massive fan of the consulate" following the experience.
He acknowledged that his son broke the law and faced the consequences, but said there was little assistance for the family trying to negotiate the situation.
"My son did what he did and he had to pay the price," Mr Robinson said.
"But [the consulate], they're not a great deal of help.
"The best you're going to get out of the consulate is some communication, maybe a welfare check, and maybe a hamburger from McDonald's."
The greatest assistance he received during their family crisis, Mr Robinson said, was from the Australian community.
"We were overwhelmed by the amount of people wanting to help us," Mr Robinson said.
"Even though people can't help, just the offer really gave us some strength.
"People need to get behind the family and offer support, but they really need someone on the ground over there that they can trust to decipher what's going on."
Mr Robinson said people should not be judgemental as "it can happen to any family".
"We need to respect the country we go to, but we all make mistakes, and I do feel for the kid," he said.
Potential five-year jail term
On the day of Bodhi Risby-Jones's arrest the ABC spoke to international crisis consultant, John McLeod.
Mr McLeod has been involved in numerous high-profile cases, including the release of Sara Conner and Schapelle Corby, who both spent time in Bali's Kerobokan prison.
Mr McLeod said Mr Risby-Jones would face a penalty, "possibly five years in jail or 40 to 50 lashes of the bamboo cane".
"Whether they charge him under the Indonesian legislation, or they charge him under Sharia law, or both — if what we're hearing is true, it's total disrespect for the local customs and culture and to their religious faith."
Importance of respect for local laws
If people were caught doing the wrong thing in Indonesia, Mr McLeod said they needed to act quickly before charges were confirmed.
In Indonesia, it can take up to seven days for charges to be formalised.
"I would be going down the road of some sort of restorative justice," Mr McLeod said.
"You pay compensation for the pain and suffering and damage that you've caused to the individuals and throw yourself at the mercy of the local governor.
"Ask for forgiveness for your behaviour."
However, Mr McLeod said the high level of public outrage in this case could prove too difficult to settle outside of court or out of the Sharia system.
"You definitely don't want to anger them any further," Mr McLeod said.
"You want to be showing total and utter remorse."
When travelling in Indonesia, Mr McLeod said Australians needed to be more aware of local restrictions.
"You don't go to Aceh and play up —it's an Islamic province," Mr Robinson said.
"You need to respect culture and customs — that's clothing, that's alcohol. You need to do your research."
