The daughter of Debbie Voulgaris, an Australian mother-of-five imprisoned in Taiwan, has spoken publicly for the first time about her grief, calling her mother’s 15-year sentence for drug smuggling a devastating injustice.
Voulgaris, 57, was arrested in late 2023 after arriving at Taoyuan International Airport with around 4 kilograms of heroin and a smaller amount of cocaine concealed in her luggage.
She initially denied knowledge of the drugs but later admitted to carrying them unknowingly, claiming her ex-husband was behind the operation.
“She’s alone, trapped in a place she never deserved to be, carrying pain that was never hers to carry — away from her children,” said her daughter Maria, 25, in an interview with ABC.
“The pain of being oceans away from my mum… it’s unbearable.”
Voulgaris pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 16 years in prison, later reduced on appeal to 15 years and two months.
Her legal team argued she had been manipulated due to her history as a domestic violence victim and was unaware of a hidden compartment in the suitcase.
For the first eight months of her incarceration, Voulgaris was barred from contacting her family.
Since the ban was lifted, Maria and her brothers have spoken with her by phone and visited her twice in person. Other visits have been separated by a screen.
“Trust can cost you everything — that’s what happened to my mother,” Maria said. “Her kindness, her gentle innocence… that’s what led her where she is today.”
Voulgaris, who has struggled with anxiety and health issues in prison, remains on medication but is said to be maintaining her spirit.
“Still, she shows nothing but kindness to guards and inmates and tells us to explore the beauty of Taiwan when we visit,” Maria said.
“She is always the first to show up when someone needed help,” Maria added.
“She strongly believes that the universe will correct what was wrong, even if she can’t see when or how.”
Source: ABC.
