Holidaymaker, 14, in Bali drugs trial

A 14-YEAR-OLD Australian boy has gone on trial on charges of possessing marijuana while on holiday with his parents on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.

He faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty of purchasing 3.6g of marijuana.

The boy, wearing a balaclava to protect his identity, arrived at Denpasar District Court with his mother for a brief closed-door hearing.

Court staff reportedly put up special Spongebob Squarepants curtains to shield the boy from hundreds of TV cameras.

The boy’s father was absent for the trial as he had to travel back to Australia to sort out “business matters”.

The family is facing mounting legal bills of thousands of dollars every week.

Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws and people convicted of possession or smuggling are often executed. More than 140 people are on death row, including more than 50 foreigners.

Prosecutor I Gusti Putu Gede Atmaja said the boy was caught in possession of the marijuana on October 4 while on holiday with his parents and a 13-year-old friend.

He said two community guards saw the boy pull the drugs out of his pockets.

However, the teen’s lawyer, Muhammad Rifan, said he was confident his client could escape jail time because he is a minor and appeared to have been purchasing the drug for personal use, not distribution.

His defence team is confident the boy will be released as early as next week on the grounds that he is a frequent user of marijuana and that he has sought previous treatment.

Rifan said that in the best case he would be allowed to return home in the custody of his parents.

The trial, being closely watched in Australia, continues on Friday.

Dozens of Australian citizens have been sentenced to jail terms or placed on death row for drug possession in Indonesia.

However, the boy is reportedly the youngest to go on trial on drug charges.