Vili Fualaau

She gave me something to live for.

Photograph of Vili Fualaau and Mary Letourneau from the book they wrote together Vili Fualaau was twelve years old when, by his own account, he seduced his 34-year-old teacher, Mary Letourneau. After she was arrested for their relationship, he waited seven years for her release from prison, then at the age of 21 he promptly petitioned the court to have her no-contact order lifted so he could see her. The following year, they were married. In the first year of Letourneau’s imprisonment, she and Fualaau coauthored a book, which was published only in a French translation, and only in France. The book included three drawings by Fualaau, including the one below, in which Fualaau expressed his feelings about Letourneau’s prosecution. The drawing is not dated, however Fualaau was 14 when the book was published. The two paragraphs below the drawing are translated back into English from the caption of the drawing in the book. Click the drawing to view it enlarged.

Another drawing by Vili, reflecting his perception of the trial, and where he gives his own version of “the battle of David and Goliath.” In the background, the pillars of society: Trust, Happiness, Life, Heaven, Belief, Understanding, Love, Family, Laws, Spirit, Pride. Vili, as David, holds a sling against the giant Goliath, portrayed as fear, the media, and society (center). Several other characters are involved: left and center, the police and the psychiatrist, driven by a key like automatons, and repeating mechanically: “I’m just doing my job!” (police officer, left) and “Sex offender experiment” (psychiatrist, center). Right, a man yells rape, the prosecutor and judge are questioning, obviously without understanding. In the van, Mary is taken away, and in her hand passed between the bars, she gives Vili Kipling’s famous poem: If.

In this drawing, Vili expresses his message: “Thankful because she gave me something to live for. [I am an] old spirit [with] true full capacity to love someone. Just read my book. I am a false victim. I am not harmed. Believe me.”