For those who may be familiar with the westfield couple child rape case, it is finished. Nate Lami pleaded and was sentenced in March and Leonne Vieu (Lee) followed right behind. I’m not happy with the results. They both got a slap on the wrist.
Both pleaded out for lesser sentences and considering what they were charged with, and confessed to I think the sentences were less than appropriate for the crimes.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/leonne_vieu_pleads_guilty_to_e.html
Nate received a whopping 7-9 years and Lee bargained out for what is ultimately going to be 6 months in jail +7 years probation and does not have to register. Both are having their time in jail during trial counted toward time served.
What bothers me is that more emphases was put on Nates case than Lees. While he did perform more of the violent acts, she did knowingly and willingly witnessed and participated. That makes her just as guilty. So why hasn’t her case gone viral and why did she get a lesser sentence? If you see something bad happening and choose to do nothing, worse help, then you are just as guilty. If I walked down the street and saw/heard a woman being raped in an alley and didn’t try something to help, I would be just as guilty as the rapist. She should be too.
If you have read the article linked above then you saw she used the “oh poor me, I had a bad life and I’m mentally ill defense.” Bull fucking shit. My self and a number of people I know have had bad upbringings and mental illnesses. We may have done some really messed up things but never committed a violent crime. Can we get verbal? Absolutely, but we always feel like shit about it afterwards knowing we have done something wrong and we do not have it in us to physically harm another living thing. Unless you are a sociopath (and with very few exceptions), it is statistically unlikely that a person with any level of functioning mental illness would physically harm someone. This is just a gross exaggeration, but you are more likely to be eaten alive by flesh eating bacteria than attacked by someone with a mental illness. We are more of a danger to ourselves than others.
While I approve of the Judges personal comments, I do not believe they will do any good. I agree with her defense about Nate. He is abusive, highly manipulative and has the ability to con impressionable women; however, she did willingly go that far for his love and approval. That shows a lack of personal volition and integrity. She may never commit that kind of act again, but the thinking and behavior behind what happened may never change.
At the end of the day, both of them have proven to be completely untrustworthy and unfit to be allowed in regular society.
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