The heartbroken daughter of an Australian mother-of-five serving a 15-year sentence in Taiwan has spoken publicly for the first time about her devastation over her mother's jail sentence.
Debbie Voulgaris will on Wednesday mark the second birthday she's spent in a Taiwan prison, after she was arrested in late 2023 on drug smuggling charges.
"The pain of being oceans away from my mum, not knowing if she's okay, not being able to hold her, speak to her freely, or even look her in the eyes … it's unbearable," her 25-year-old daughter, Maria, told the ABC.
"She pored every part of herself into raising us with love, with care, with purpose.
"She's alone, trapped in a place she never deserved to be, carrying pain that was never hers to carry — away from her children."
Her mother was arrested after carrying around 4 kilograms of pure heroin and a smaller amount of cocaine in black plastic bags in a suitcase into Taoyuan International Airport, about an hour west of the capital, Taipei.
Court documents state she initially "vehemently denied" knowing about drugs in her luggage before alleging she had unknowingly brought them in and that her ex-husband was behind the deal.
During a hearing in August last year, Voulgaris's lawyer told the court they would be arguing she was vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
"Due to the defendant's history as a victim of domestic violence, we believe that she [had] difficulty turning down the request," her attorney, Lin Chih-erh, alleged in court.
Lawyers had unsuccessfully attempted to subpoena her ex-husband, with Judge Chen Yen-Nien telling the court in August that Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed John had received the legal summons.
The ABC does not suggest John has engaged in any wrongdoing and no allegations have ever been made against him by authorities.
Voulgaris pleaded guilty to the drug smuggling charge, which in Taiwan can attract the death sentence or life in prison, acknowledging she had brought the drugs in but maintaining that she'd done so unknowingly.
In late October, she was sentenced to 16 years in jail, which this week was reduced slightly to 15 years and two months by Taiwan's High Court on appeal, after which time she will be deported.
The ABC has made multiple attempts to call and message John, but has not received any response.
'Trust can cost you everything'
For the first eight months of her incarceration, the 57-year-old was prohibited from contacting family.
Since that ban was lifted in August, Maria and her two older brothers have been able to talk to their mother on the phone and have travelled to Taiwan to see her in person, although she said they were only allowed contact visits twice, while the other times they've been separated by a screen.
"We endured eight long months without a single call from my mum … No calls, little to no messages, no visual of how she looks — nothing," Maria said.
"[After the ban was lifted] I remember once asking my mum during a phone call, because we can only speak twice a month given the circumstances, all through tears, 'Mum… what's next? How do we get the people who did this to you?'"
"She paused for a moment, and with a softness in her voice that only a mother could have in the middle of so much pain, she said, 'I don't have time for hatred anymore, karma will get them, we just have to trust that.'"
Lawyer Leon Huang told the ABC previously that Voulgaris had travelled from Australia to Malaysia, where she stayed in a "really crappy hotel", and received the suitcase before flying to Taipei.
"She had no idea of what's placed inside and under her luggage, because there is a hidden compartment and she wasn't aware of that," he said.
Mr Huang continued that Voulgaris had been offered minimal compensation for transporting the luggage, and he believed she'd been exploited unwittingly as a drug mule or similar.
"The cruel reality is, when you live with an open heart like Debbie, when you see the good in everyone like Debbie, you can end up placing your trust in the wrong people," Maria Voulgaris said.
"And sometimes, that trust can cost you everything — that's what happened to my mother.
"Her kindness, her gentle innocence, her belief that people had good intentions towards her — that's what led her where she is today and now, she's living out the consequences of someone else's greedy choices."
A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement that the agency was providing consular assistance to Voulgaris in Taiwan, but couldn't comment further due to privacy obligations.
Voulgaris on medication in prison
Maria Voulgaris said her mother is well known in her local community as generous and community minded.
"She is always the first to show up when someone needed help, always the one quietly doing acts of kindness behind the scenes," she said.
Voulgaris's health has deteriorated in prison, and she's been put on medication to manage her anxiety, panic attacks, and worsening health, Maria said.
Despite that mental toll, she believes her mother has preserved her spirit and is desperate for people to know her real character.
"I've decided to share this message and share a glimpse of who my mother is through photos and videos, to allow others to grasp her true nature," she said.
"Still, she shows nothing but kindness to guards and inmates and tells us to explore the beauty of Taiwan when we visit.
"It's admirable how she holds onto her good nature and pure heart and she strongly believes that the universe will correct what was wrong, even if she can't see when or how."
