BBC reporting of autism (was “Southport”)

You make a good point Kate, we know that autism dosen't make you violent, but mental health issues can. I'd love to know what his justification for is, but at the same time I don't want the sort of mind that could understand it.

The far right just like stirring things up, there's also what I heard described as 'recreational rioting', where people just turn up as its something to do. I take strength from all the people who turned out to put things back together after the rioting, everybody helped everybody with no thought to race, creed or anything, which ot me is just how it should be.

We don’t know yet though do we? Being autistic and a connected mental health issue MIGHT have been an element in why this person committed this crime. For example he might have experienced bullying and social isolation and this may have contributed to a deterioration in his mental health. We just don’t know - and people should not rush to assumptions until this crime is properly investigated. 

The people doing the actual rioting are a very small number of extreme individuals.  Of course they are being egged on by social media figures and One or Two MP's. But remember they are  in no way the majority of the country. Most people look at them aghast.

Sad that this is the country we now live in. What a horrible place. Divide and rule and the people fall for it every time.

I’m not sure why this happened this is a terrible horrendous crime! The man should be locked up for a long time. But I don’t think people rioting will help. Mosques have been put on high alert. I don’t think damaging mosques is good either. This country really sucks I truly hate it here. Why people can’t be nice to one another is deeply upsetting. With the far right and everything we’re just turning into a nazi state. Who are they going to come for next? This feels a bit like that time in nazi germany when they started going around trashing Jewish shops and beating Jews because they supposedly set a German building on fire. C’mon it’s time to change surely?

I was fuming about this. E-mailed MP and made formal complaint to the BBC. Extract from transcript to MP below:

'... I am concerned that the BBC - and possibly others - are linking Autism (ASD) with serious crime such as the appalling murders in Southport a few days ago. From memory, it is at least the third time this year that I have heard the BBC make a casual reference to serious crime in the form of: 'the BBC understands that the suspect has Autism Spectrum Disorder'.

This bothers me for the following reasons:

- ASD is a disability - It is a Protected Characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. I'm fairly sure that the BBC would not broadcast their 'understanding' of the suspects colour, race or sexuality, therefore, their prejudicial labelling may be in breach of the act.
I hope the BBC reconsiders their prejudice in this matter - will be emailing them on the subject.

- A safety issue - My real fear is for my wider family which has several on the ASD spectrum. They have challenges but great support around them. I fear that this kind of broadcasting will encourage a certain type of politician or commentator to target those with ASD followed by physical assault by mindless thugs that listen to the dog-whistled viciousness on 'social' media.

It may be that autistic behaviour, if unsupported, can lead (very rarely) to tragic circumstances and given the state of CAMHS after the austerity of the last 14 years, there will be gaping holes in this country's MH net. I recall reading a report on our prisons and how many inmates had been diagnosed as being on the spectrum, and had been unsupported prior to incarceration. My family is fortunate to have support from so many people and have to deal with the ignorance of some but let's not allow that to turn to hate.

Your in-tray will be fairly weighty but I implore your government to do one thing, and if I may make a suggestion, treat Social Media Co. as you would treat other broadcasters and newspapers, as, after all, they are essentially broadcasters of written or spoken content. They may have to up their game or maybe shut up shop but we might all be happier for it.

I hope the NAS can lobby on this matter. Well done for raising.

I was shocked to read this, it's just lazy click bait reporting. Unfortunately the repercussions could be wide ranging. I really hope that this doesn't affect all the innocent ASD people

I was fully expecting this news and waiting for it.  But I am still disappointed that it has been made public.

Now I'm worried about my Monday's appointment at an autism centre.  Will we also be attacked by a mob?

The unpalatable truth is that he may well have it.  Does this mean all Autists are violent criminals?  Of course not and intelligent folk will realise this. So try not to worry.

I was deeply uneasy about this too, so many people don't understand ASD anyway, I don't think his ASD diagnosis had anything to do with his murderous rampage, if's more likely to be some other mental health problem. I agree with you about NAS though, will we be seeing representatives on programs like Newsnight telling people the reality of Autism? What actually does NAS do?

I'm not sure about gender to be honest, I was watching Newsnight last night and they had a chap from Hope not Hate, talking about the motivation of far right protesters, he said the thing nobody wants to talk about is these things are largely men doing the rioting, before he was shut down by the presenter. In nearly all these events the pertetrators are men, we might see women egging the men on, but we don't tend to see women in the thick of riots nor do they seem to be prone to violent attacks on others. I'm trying to think of all the massacres that have occured both here and in the USA and I can't think of any with female perpetrators.

I also want to say how awful and distressing I found what happened in Stockport, words can't describe the horror of it, and to add to it all a bunch of outsiders come along and turn hurt to hate. The whole thing is awful beyond imagining.