Published on 12, July, 2020
I am totally prepared to start a campaign if there is not one to support ASD Adults going to court on criminal convictions. There are NO specialist solicitors. The Police are dreadful not trained completely for ASD. The courts need to improve advocate support inside then just a solicitor alone then generally get guilty pleas instead of looking at the whole. ASD sadly do not always have a voice and always go along with solicitors bad advice. I would like to see solicitors and courts support cases where ASD and social isolation to be taken seriously in any charges and always seek reports as protocol when is known ASD person is before the courts. Can anyone help me know how to improve the system where guilty pleas are forced then the truth and innocence is lost due to ASD going along with early guilty pleas when innocent to criminal convictions then the entire?
I really admire your courage and determination. My only qualm is that the so-called Legal System is just another dysfunctional spoke in the larger neurotypical wheel. As some have pointed out: there are already provisions for defendants with autism, but like all institutions—because neurotypicals run them, they also choose when and to whom they apply these provisions. As long as Police Officers, Judges, Jurors and the CPS are neurotypical, it would require nothing short of a major evolutionary shift to make it treat autistic people fairly.That said, I fully support any attempt you make to improve the system.
Autistic "mens rea " is totally different from neurotypicals and they should never have been prosecuted. There was NO crimnal intent .See Gary McKinnon and Lauri Love.
Criminal intent is required for a crime