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?
My son is autistic and in the past was arrested and denied an appropriate adult even though he told the custody sergeant he was autistic. He was then bullied into a confession and ended up with a caution. Roll on 4 years and in trouble again - in court the judge stated you do not have severe autism as you hold down a job. He then dismissed the autism and gave a harsh sentence despite being told this should have been dismissed back at the police station with a caution. My son has been suicidal over the past 6 months with all this, has been harassed due to been named in the papers and his autism being revealed. It has been horrendous. I do not believe autism should be a get out of jail free card but I can honestly say the system is terrible and my son was an easy target for the cps and their statistics. It has cost thousands in legal fees and to be honest the general consensus from all of us that supported him is that by informing the judge of his autism the judge came down harder.
please if anyone wants to start a campaign count me in. I am fed up of the bullying and discrimination I witness with my son and also myself as I have Aspergers. It goes on everywhere, I am fed up with having to fight for everything. Please contact me and let’s do something about it
I knew there were more people here witnessing the unfairness of treatment and lack of support. Because ASD person looks normal and can talk fluently, it goes against them which is wrong. Having a job should not go against someone in court! We need front line people on the Justice system to stop behaving like a corporate collecting revenue officers. And start being decent souls to get the truth then believe allegations are fact (include court press) in courts like this. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? What has happened to wanting a fair trial? No disabilities should be a free get out of jail card. Autism, has a lot to do with behaviours risking their own well-being to be excepted in society, and abused unknown to them used and taken advantage of by a range of people sadly. To abusers to make false charges to the police that get dropped or not, to live with their own vulnerability which there is no support in the communities that are permanent support due to being able bodied. It's rather a dreadful thing to see.
If the Autistic Society here can contact us to start this campaign to improve the Justice System, despite tool kits available, we want ASD to be understood, all spectrum, not just severe.
1. More specialist ASD solicitors
2. Police improvements, all areas
3. Courts to allow trained advocate besides solicitors to attend meetings and anything else, not legal advice just witness support.
4. Probation service improvements
5. Prison - safety for ASD vulnerability
6. Specialist Judges
7. The press need to stop being one-sided to share facts correctly. Papers cause more harm then good for the readers and defendants and victims
It's a lot to improve, for the majority, not just ASD vulnerability in this broken system.
We need everyone to support this, we can do this! We won't have unfairness no more!
@NAS36739 I will contact you. Thanks
That would be great if you could contact me - changes need to be made
Thank you