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Two British law graduates behind bars in Brazil over an alleged holiday insurance fraud will be told today if they are to be released on bail.
A judge will rule on whether to free the girls from the filthy, overcrowded prison they have been held in since Sunday.
Shanti Andrews and her friend Rebecca Turner, both 23, have been sleeping on a corridor floor in the jail packed with murderers and drug-traffickers.
They were arrested after telling police they had been robbed of more than £1,000 of goods during a bus trip.
Suspicious police went to their hostel and discovered some of the items under their beds.
The women's lawyer Renato Tonini said: "We have applied for bail and the judge has said he will give a decision today.
"They are very nervous and upset. They are sleeping in the corridor because the prison is overcrowded, with no mattresses."
Meanwhile, prosecutors are expected to announce today what charges the pair will face.
If convicted of insurance fraud, they will face between one and five years in prison.
But their lawyer hopes for the lesser charge of making a false claim, which is punishable by up to six months in jail or a fine.
"We will argue that they cannot be convicted of insurance fraud as they never made a claim with the insurance company," Mr Tonini said.
Reader views (13)
The fraud has not actually been committed until they make a claim. They were simply reporting a theft and it would appear (we don't know yet) that they exaggerated what had been stolen. The fraud would only be committed once returning to the UK and claiming for lost items, which have not been lost. The best thing the police can do is to send them home with a crime report number qualified; I am sure they would then not even attempt to make a claim. To stop them practising law in the future would be a bit unfair, they would probably be even better lawyer now.
- Michael Pettifer - Mind The Gap Year, Haslemere, 05/08/2009 10:27
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Oh yeah! there so innocent and nieve little girls...Gimme a break these are 23 yr old university educated lawyers who did a nine month stint round the world visiting 30 countries.Quite an achievement for teenagers(not).They must have covered Fraud and Insurance in there curriculum,just a tiny bit.Mind you degrees are 10 a penny nowadays-8p each.Maybe Sussex university should review its courses.2 more law students on the dole then.Ho Hum.
- N . Tusker. Uk, uk, 31/07/2009 10:40
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So, if they are returned to Britain, they'll probably get a couple of months in a cushy prison or let out on licence and they actually won't learn anything from what they've done.
These stupid girls should see their sentence out in Brazil, then they might come home with the realisation that their actions have consequences, rather than the idea that you can always buy/bargain/argue your way out of problems.
Their arrogance and contempt for the Brazilian police, by assuming that they wouldn't bother to check under their beds, deserves a punishment in itself!
- Sarah, London, 30/07/2009 17:55
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That they attempted fraud, whether they managed to get their hands on any loot or not, is still illegal and quite properly WILL go through the legal process. Consequences, consequences - it's a hard life, ain't it!
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2009 17:33
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If they are guilty, they should receive, and serve, the full penalty. What is all this nonsense about "our poor little girls"? they knew what they were doing and deserve the punishment, if indeed they are guilty.
The righteous, and misplaced indignation of the parents and others is a joke.
- Kerry, Purley, 30/07/2009 16:29
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They are law graduates,it is disgraceful,they deserve punishment..this is why we all have such high premiums..
- Jean, London England, 30/07/2009 16:28
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is'nt intent to defraud....fraud..send them down.
- N .Tusker, uk, 30/07/2009 15:58
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Well if no claim was made with the insurance compnay, no fraud has been committed, only a false police report. However, there is no sympathy for these girls.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London, 30/07/2009 15:01
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I'm still waiting to hear what is so special about these two. According to available information it is pretty clear that they attempted to play the fraud game - and 'made the mistake' of being caught out immediately.
Consequences can be somewhat trying, I'll agree - but that's the price of trying to rip people off and being caught. 'Filthy, overcrowded prison'? Perhaps they should have tried their game back in England where the accommodation would be more to their liking.
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2009 14:52
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..show me a jail that ISN'T packed with murderers and drug-traffickers. Well now Evening Standard, you wouldn't be trying to dramatise the situation by any chance would you..? Not just because they're ENGLISH? Grow up.
- Bill, Newark, 30/07/2009 14:46
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Hmmm, Their lawyer might be able to argue that they cannot be convicted of insurance fraud. However they they were clearly intending to lodge a fraudulent claim.
Conspiracy? Perjury? wasting police time?
"Jail packed with murderers and drug traffickers" really?
Thats a surprise I would have expected the jail to be packed with Hairdressers and beauty consultants!
- Simon, london, 30/07/2009 14:15
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Fraud is a severe transgression and carries heavy punishment. Any law graduate should know that.
Here is some free legal advice - Don't do the crime if you can't do the time
- Gary, Brentwood, 30/07/2009 13:37
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I think its hilarious. they try a scam get caught and now its in every bleeding news report. so what, there was a saying - do the crime, do the time.........
perhaps they should try getting pregnant in the nick. they'll be home by the weekend..........
- Jonny, London, 30/07/2009 13:10
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