Man whose father killed his paedophile abductor speaks out
<p>In March 1984, 11-year-old Jody Plauche was kidnapped from his home in Louisiana by his karate teacher Jeff Doucet. </p>
<p>Jeff took Jody to a motel in California, over 3,200km from his home, before inflicting a horrific campaign of sexual abuse and grooming on the child. </p>
<p>When Jody was found and Jeff was shipped back to Louisiana, a camera crew and several journalists were waiting for the paedophile at the airport. </p>
<p>Amongst the media flock, Jody's father Gary was waiting with his back turned and disguising his identity with a lowered baseball cap and sunglasses. </p>
<p>As Jeff was paraded past him, the furious father turned around, <span>drew a gun, pulled the trigger and fired a single shot into the side of Doucet's head at point blank range live on the 6pm news bulletin. </span></p>
<p><span>Now, 37 years later, Jody has recalled the traumatising ordeal in his </span>autobiography. </p>
<p>He discusses how many Americans hailed his father a "hero" for carrying out the revenge killing, but he didn't agree. </p>
<p><span>The author said, “At first I was upset with what my father did because at age 11 – I just wanted Jeff to stop and not necessarily dead.”</span></p>
<p><span>Gary spent the weekend in jail over the killing, but ended up serving no prison time. </span></p>
<p><span>He was given a suspended sentence for manslaughter along with probation and community service, </span></p>
<p><span>The judge ruled that there was no risk of him ever committing another crime, and said sending him to prison would not </span>help anyone, so he was set free. </p>
<p>Jody recalls watching the video of his father shooting down his abuser, and said it felt surreal. </p>
<p>“I had already looked at the paper, something I was told not to do. It was almost as if it wasn’t real,” Jody told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk" target="_blank">The Sun</a>.</p>
<p>He even recorded the footage on a VHS tape and would watch it “over and over”, becoming obsessed with it as he attempted to process what happened.</p>
<p>Jody said he continues to struggle with the traumatising events, and why he doesn't agree with his dad's hero status. </p>
<p>“I think for a lot of people who have not been satisfied by the American justice system my dad stands as a symbol of justice,” he said.</p>
<p>“My dad did what everybody says what they would do yet only few have done it. Plus, he didn’t go to jail.”</p>
<p><span>“That said, I cannot and will not condone his behaviour. But I understand why he did what he did."</span></p>
<p><em>Image credits: Supplied</em></p>
