Debra Lafave Gets Off

When Debra Lafave was a teacher at a middle school in Tampa, she had sex with one of her students, a fourteen-year-old boy.

OCALA, Fla. -- Debra Lafave, 25, was charged in Marion County with lewd and lascivious battery on a child and lewd and lascivious exhibition for having sex with the now 16-year-old boy in a sport utility vehicle.

As part of a plea deal, she is already serving seven years probation and three years house arrest for similar offenses in Hillsborough County for having sex with him in a classroom and her house.

But the state attorney's office in Marion County dropped the charges there on Tuesday after a judge rejected a similar plea deal that would have allowed Lafave to again avoid going to trial — and to prison. Because the boy's family doesn't want him to testify, the prosecution didn't have enough evidence to present its case.

"I believe my mental illness had a lot to do with my actions," Lafave said in a news conference Tuesday with defense attorney John Fitzgibbons, referring to bipolar disorder. "I offer my deepest apology. I am very remorseful. I want the world to see that bipolar is real."

I can understand why the boy's family wouldn't want him to testify.

Here is an interview with the boy's mother.

(Excerpt)

The boy's mother says she's relieved her son won't have to testify in front of cameras.

Victim's Mother: "And that would have happened every day during the trial and just debating every moment, every word that came out of his mouth, every detail that was presented that would have been terrible for him."

But she's offended by Marion County Judge Hale Stancil, who refused to accept a plea agreement for Debra LaFave.

Victim’s Mother: "I'm just appalled by his actions appalled that he took so little consideration about the well-being of my son."

As for the former teacher who had sex with her son who was 14 at the time, the victim's mother says she no longer feels sorry for Debra LaFave.

Victim’s Mother: "18 months have now passed and I've yet to see any true remorse and she continues to paint herself as the victim. And that she is not taking responsibility in my opinion for her actions."

Not to come down too hard on the boy's mom, but I hope she was somewhat "appalled" by her son's actions as well. What he did wasn't criminal, but he had to know that it was wrong.

No one in this latest sordid tale of "Teachers Gone Wild" comes off very well. There are valid grounds to criticize the judge, the mother, the boy, and John Fitzgibbons, Lafave's sleazy lawyer.

But without a doubt, Lafave is the worst.

From an ABC report:

"I'm a strong Christian woman and I believe God has a path for me and this was just a bump in the road," [Lafave] said.

"Bump in the road" is a really poor choice of words, given that in one of the encounters, Lafave allegedly had sex with the boy in her SUV while the boy's cousin was behind the wheel.

From a FOX News report:

"I believe my mental illness had a lot to do with my actions," Lafave said in a news conference Tuesday with defense attorney John Fitzgibbons, referring to bipolar disorder. "I offer my deepest apology. I am very remorseful. I want the world to see that bipolar is real."

Before taking questions during her first public comments since the case began, Lafave thanked Fitzgibbons for fighting for her and showing that mental illnesses "cause good people to do bad things." She thanked her family and her fiancé for their "unconditional love" and said she was undergoing intensive therapy that was "helping tremendously."

Bipolar disorder is real. I believe that.

Having a mental illness, however, doesn't mean that Lafave shouldn't go to prison for her actions.

Such a diagnosis does not give one license to molest children.

Lafave was not insane. She knew what she was doing when she chose to have sex with her fourteen-year-old student.

This "mental illnesses 'cause good people to do bad things'" stuff may be true.

That does not mean that these "good people" get a free pass on the "bad things" that they do. Mental illness may provide an explanation for behavior, but that's not the same as an excuse.

Poor Mary Kay LeTourneau. When she played the bipolar card, it didn't work.

I think Lafave should be on the national sex offender registry. That's what she is -- a sex offender.

Lafave told reporters that she isn't allowed to see children as part of her plea agreement, though she hopes to be a mother one day. Since she is no longer allowed to teach, she said she is pursuing a career in journalism instead.

At least Lafave was forced to give up her teaching career. Still, if she has children of her own, she's certainly going to be around other children.

Don't the parents of any children Lafave comes in contact with have a right to know her history of sexual crimes against a child?

Her press conference blaming mental illness for her behavior should not be all that it takes to remove this stain. The recidivism rate of pedophiles is enormous.

I don't think it's in the best interest of the common good to let Lafave get off.

I sincerely doubt Lafave will ever be able to fully understand the significance of what she did until she has a child of her own.