Boy borrows parents credit card to embark on four-day holiday to Bali by himself

THE mother of a 12-year-old boy who flew to Bali using her credit card has hit back at accusations she is a bad parent, saying it’s been a “terrible” week.

THE mother of a 12-year-old boy who stole her credit card and flew by himself to Bali has lashed back at accusations she is a bad parent, saying “we didn’t fail … people failed us”.

The boy, who gave the name of Drew, made international headlines after he brazenly took mum Emma’s credit card and used it to buy flights to Bali, where he stayed for days before being caught.

Drew flew with Jetstar from Sydney to Perth, and then boarded an international flight to Bali’s Denpasar airport, after two unsuccessful attempts to fly with Qantas and Garuda Airlines.

Once in Bali, the 12-year-old managed to check into a hotel, hire and ride a scooter and drink beer on the beach while his parents back in Sydney searched desperately for him.

Speaking to Fitzy and Wippa on their Nova 96.9 breakfast show on Tuesday, Emma described a “terrible” week in which the focus had been on her parenting, rather than the question of how a 12-year-old boy was able to leave the country and fly to Indonesia by himself.

“[It’s been] very negative,” she said of the reaction to the story, which first appeared on A Current Affair.

“They misplaced what that story was about. It was about how he did it. Not about my parenting skills. They don’t know what happened in that week.”

Emma said she discovered Drew was in Bali after when she contacted one of his mates who confirmed Drew been geotagged on the holiday island.

She told Fitzy and Wippa she made sure to “get him in trouble” with police for stealing her credit card and spending her money.

Drew flew all the way to Bali.

“He wasn’t going to get away with that, he spent my money,” Emma said.

“We disciplined this child, we [did] everything possible. We didn’t fail in any way. People failed us.

“It’s about how the system did fail us to a certain extent.”

Drew told the radio show he was now grounded “until they [his parents] let me out”.

The 12-year-old had previously tried to fly with Qantas and Garuda, but both airlines turned him away before he could board a plane and allegedly notified the Australian Federal Police and Border Force about his attempts.

But when Drew researched budget airline Jetstar, he realised their policy was a little more relaxed.

He stole his mum’s credit card and coaxed his grandma into revealing the location of his passport — that the family had hidden after his previous two attempts.

He filled a backpack with clothes, grabbed his razor scooter and told his mum he was going to school.

Instead, he took a train to the airport and hopped on a Jetstar flight bound for Perth before heading straight on to Denpasar, Bali.

Drew’s mum Emma was furious.

Now Emma, who said she was furious her son was even allowed to leave the country, wants answers.

“He just doesn’t like the word no and that’s what I got, a kid in Indonesia,” she said.

“It’s too easy, way too easy. There’s a problem in our system,” Emma added.

Emma and her partner were panic-stricken for four days, wondering where their son was.

It wasn’t until Drew posted a video of himself playing in a Bali pool and sharing his location with a friend that the worried parents finally realised he wasn’t even in Australia.

“I was shocked and disgusted, there’s no emotion to feel what we felt when we found out that he’d left overseas,” she said.

Emma claims after they discovered Drew’s previous attempts at trying to get overseas they “screamed and begged for help” from the AFP.

“When the first attempt happened we were told his passport was going to be flagged,” she said.

Despite the pleas for help, Drew did manage to get to Bali with ease, tellingA Current Affairhe did things like drinking beer on the beach and driving around a rented scooter in his four days there.

Drew’s family claim they were told by multiple airport professionals, including the AFP, that the family shouldn’t worry.

“We were told it just wouldn’t happen. He wouldn’t get past any airport personnel,” Drew’s nan told A Current Affair.

When Drew’s parents figured out where he was, they notified the AFP who spoke to Indonesian Police and found Drew at his hotel.

The 12-year-old had checked into the All Seasons Hotel four days previous, telling reception he was waiting for his sister and just checking in early.

Fearing the worst, Drew locked himself in his hotel room but the officers unscrewed the window and took him to the police station — where he wasn’t under arrest.

Drew’s parents then had 24 hours to make it to the police station in Bali — the legal amount of time someone not facing criminal charges is allowed to be held.

Despite also having to pass through Perth, Drew’s parents finally made it.

“I got a hug off Dad but Mum didn’t do anything, she was angry,” the 12-year-old said.

Since being home for a few weeks now, Emma wants to know how it all could’ve happened.

“They’d never done their job. He was never flagged, this shouldn’t have happened. if they’d done their job,” she told the program.

“We are still in shock, we just think how did this happen? Considering we screamed, we begged for help,” she added.

Emma said her son’s ability to fly under the radar and “so easily fool our federal police” and make it all the way to Bali is worrying.

Speaking to A Current Affair, Jetstar said it would be putting new measures in place to ensure a story like Drew’s wouldn’t happen again.

The airline did however admit the policy, which allows 12-15 year-olds travel without a parent, was one that was going to stay practical for customers.

In a statement, the Australian Federal Police said it worked with the Indonesian National Police, NSW Police and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to locate the boy.

“The AFP helped facilitate some arrangements for the boy’s parents as they travelled to Bali after their child was located,” the statement said.

“A travel alert to prevent international travel was not placed on this boy.

“The AFP does not have the power to cancel passports or to request the cancelation of a passport by DFAT if the person holding that passport is not suspected of committing specific criminal offences.”

Originally published as Boy borrows parents credit card to embark on four-day holiday to Bali by himself