|
Many people adopted the theory that this was Mary Kay's
psychological legacy: she was doing exactly as her father had done.
However, that's not only simplistic but fails to allow Mary Kay to
be aware of her own actions.
While waiting for trial, Mary Kay had a daughter with Vili.
Then on August 7, 1997, she tearfully pleaded guilty to two counts
of child rape. While the prosecutor insisted that this was a
serious crime, Judge Lau appeared to believe in Mary Kay's sincere
interest in getting help. However, several journalists noted
from a tape of the proceeding that as she took her seat after making
her plea, she smiled at her lawyer in a way that hinted at
self-satisfaction. Judge Lau sentenced her to 89 months in
prison and then suspended the sentence in lieu of her taking
medication, attending a sex offenders' treatment group, and having
no contact with the boy. Mary Kay had to serve five months of
her sentence, but was then free to go back to her family.
Her courtroom insincerity quickly played out when upon her
release from prison she contacted Vili and continued to see him,
having sex with him in her car. During one episode, a police
officer came upon them and she was once again arrested. Found
inside the car was her passport, new clothing, and over six thousand
dollars—a good indication that she meant to flee with Vili and
their child. She was also pregnant again. This time, the
tears she shed in court made no impression as the judge reinstated
the sentence and sent her to prison for seven years.
Steve divorced her and took the children to Alaska.
In prison, Mary Kay had her second daughter, which was given with
Vili's other child to Vili's mother to raise.
In June 2001, Vili said that he might want to spend the rest of
his life with Mary Kay, but he was fidgety and evasive. He'd
just turned 18 and probably realized he had his whole life ahead,
while Mary Kay was now in her 40s.
Mary Kay has both supporters and opponents and the debate rages
on as to whether a male adult abusing an underage female is a
serious matter while a female with an underage male is not.
And should love have anything to do with what happens to the
offender?
But then, one might also wonder about the nature of an obsessive
love that exploits immaturity and vulnerability, not to mention a
position of trust. Mary Kay appears to have been meeting her
own needs, in particular upon violating the court's order as soon as
she possibly could. Vili himself admits that mistakes were
made and that the situation probably should not have been allowed to
get out of control. While he and Mary Kay have written a book
on the subject, published in France, his demeanor during interviews
is less than enthused.
There is also a theory that Mary Kay suffers from a mental
disorder and thus had no control over her actions.
Psychiatrist Julie Moore examined Mary Kay for the defense and
diagnosed her as having bipolar disorder. In other words, she
showed periods of intense energy and activity—including hyper
sexuality---coupled with short periods of depression. That can
induce inappropriate behaviors, impulsivity, and impaired judgment.
She might find reward in high-risk behavior and remain unaware of
the consequences.
A psychologist who treats sex offenders, Susan Moores, was quoted
in an article about Mary Kay's disorder as saying that Mary Kay
shows a deviant sexual arousal pattern. Moores resisted the
notion that bipolar disorder was to blame. The cause, she
insisted, was the decision that the offender made.
Nevertheless, her behavior was different when on medication than
when off, and she admitted to stopping her medication once she was
out of prison. She does not accept that she's bipolar and she
continues to insist that she and Vili are in love and will spend the
rest of their lives together. Since she'll remain in prison
until 2004, it remains to be seen how long a teenage boy will wait
for her.
She's not the only one to have seduced a boy in her charge. There
have been several reports in recent years about teacher-pupil sexual
abuse.
|
