This is a chronological list of all items in The Archive about the young New Zealander Aaron Cohen, arrested with his mother in MALAYSIA in 1985 for drugs and sentenced in 1987 to life imprisonment and a caning. All his appeals failed and he was caned in 1991. In 1996 he was released and returned to New Zealand. The last item is an interview with him after he returned home, in which he describes the day he received his whipping.
2 September 1987:
Death for mum, son gets life (illustrated)
Aaron gets charge reduced to possession, is sentenced to six strokes of the cane and 20 years in jail
2 September 1987:
Mrs Cohen Sentenced To Hang: Life for Son
Lawyer pleads for medical exemption from caning, says he will appeal
2 September 1987:
Aaron: I'll Probably Suicide
Had said when arrested he would probably kill himself
2 September 1987:
Cohens 'Never Stood Chance' (illustrated)
He's an immature waif of a boy, says friend
2 September 1987:
'Most Kiwis aware of law'
They know it's death for drugs in Malaysia, notes NZ diplomat
2 September 1987:
Precedent set: Karpal
Lawyer claims a first in getting Aaron off trafficking charge
28 March 1989:
Second judgment won't be in appeal (illustrated)
Preparations for appeal hearing
10 August 1989:
Kiwi housewife escapes the gallows
Mum won't hang but Aaron's appeal is dismissed
10 August 1989:
Cohens cheat hangman but both jailed for life
Tearful and dishevelled Aaron is 'shattered'
11 August 1989:
Cohen spotlight focuses on rotan lashing
'Frail boy' only just coping, claims psychiatrist
7 February 1990:
Bid to get whipping set aside challenged (illustrated)
Setback in Aaron's attempt to avoid the caning
19 December 1991:
Cohen given whipping
Lawyer only hears by chance that the caning has been administered
20 December 1991:
NZ addict caned despite appeals
Petition for clemency to King was ignored; NZ govt expresses regret
27 June 1996:
Drug-trafficking NZ mother, son pardoned
To be freed from jail early
30 June 1996:
Uncertain future for Cohens
Aaron, now 30, free to return to NZ
1 July 1996:
Magazine's $20,000 offer to Cohens obscene -- MP
Press reputed to be paying them for their story
10 October 1997:
Horror of the lash
Aaron Cohen gives description of his caning 6 years earlier
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