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TW: Autistic teenagers found guilty of heinous crime

Autonomistic
9 months ago

Trigger warning: knife crime and murder

I had not been following too closely the news reports about the tragic murder of Brianna Ghey. However on the news last night it stated that both of the accused are autistic and that has shocked me. This online news report states the the boy "has been diagnosed with selective mutism and autism spectrum disorder" and the girl "has traits of autism and adhd". They were described as 'high functioning' in court Slight frown

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-67727331

I find it impossible to comprehend how any autistic person could be capable of such a premeditated heinous crime and then to lie about it afterwards. 

The stigma against autistic people persists and news reports like this are not going to help with the negative perceptions some people continue to have. Sadly there are some people who believe that autistic people are in some way dangerous and should be locked away in institutions. Cases like this might damage public support for the NAS campaigns to release autistic people who are wrongly detained Pensive

Parents
  • 9 months ago

    ASD people can and will commit heinous crimes, especially if they have the "no empathy" ASD and not the "hyper empathy" kind. I did a lot of unlawful activities back then, but I managed to never get caught. Now I work with an active SC lol.

    Anders Breivik has high functioning ASD, Antisocial disorder and Narcissism

    Jeffrey Dahmer probably had ASD, but he is too busy being dead for having a proper diagnosis.

    Adam Lanza had ASD, OCD and anorexia.

  • 9 months ago in reply to Judge Dredd

    There is no “no-empathy ASD” as you put it. All autistic people have the capacity for empathy. This idea you’re talking about doesn’t exist. People have been working hard to try and dispel some of these myths and you’re just adding to them. There may be autistic people that don’t have empathy but that has nothing to do with autism. It’s not a type of autism. Plenty of non autistic people have no or little empathy. 

  • 9 months ago in reply to Yellow tree 118

    But there is a distinction between empathy and sympathy. I think it’s very important to recognise it. Sympathy implies that you kind of can put yourself in the other persons head and feel as they feel. Empathy merely implies concern the suffering of others.

    and autistic person can be empathetic towards someone who has stubed their toe. But may find it harder to relate and sympathise with someone Who is having an emotional breakdown over something they might consider irrational.

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  • 9 months ago in reply to Yellow tree 118

    But there is a distinction between empathy and sympathy. I think it’s very important to recognise it. Sympathy implies that you kind of can put yourself in the other persons head and feel as they feel. Empathy merely implies concern the suffering of others.

    and autistic person can be empathetic towards someone who has stubed their toe. But may find it harder to relate and sympathise with someone Who is having an emotional breakdown over something they might consider irrational.

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