Published on 12, July, 2020
Please excuse me for not fully understanding Autism to the fullest it's rather a new world to me. I am not on the spectrum (please forgive me If anything i say comes across as offensive its not my intention)
Are people with aspergers understanding on the concept of blackmail, ie can they actively do it out of malious, with the intent of causing emotional distress/harm or do they not fully understand it and find themselves in a situation.
I'm trying to find a way to explain it.
This person is gay.
They met a straight person who had a girlfriend.
Somehow they started being intimate with each other.
After 3 meetings the straight guy decided that was it no more.
Meeting 1 - Clearly consensual, why else would a straight guy go meet a gay guy.
Meeting 2 - Seemed to be more of a want to do it again, I'll tell your girlfriend sort of thing. Videod without straight guy knowing.
Meeting 3 - Was told about the video and that was used as a way to get him to come back, straight guy came and cried. Gay guy released this and told him to go.
A few months later in a depressed state over finances, the gay guy with aspergers attempted to blackmail for money. Although in his police interview he stated he was disgusted in himself, wouldn't have gone through with it and seemingly just become obsessed with this person.
Straight guys girlfriend found out, police involved and it was claimed as sexual assualt and blackmail. He admitted to everything without a solicitor present nor was he assessed as fit to interview by a mental health professional.
So my two pence worth...
A person with Asperger's is a person with Asperger's... what I'm saying is they are a person first and as such just as capable of anything as any person.
If it's Aspergers/high-funtioning autism then I'd say yes, they are perfectly capable of what you describe - doing anything in their power to retain the attention of the object of their obsession.
Where ASD might be relevant is in poor impulse control, not being able to see other people's point of view ("But you're obviously gay - we were intimate... I'm trying to help you realise the truth...") etc.
If the 'straight' guy is in denial about his sexuality then a common 'defence' is to re-frame a consensual act as non-consensual.
The confession sounds like a very ASD response to me - honesty is a big deal, along with justice for many people with ASD, to the point where it is more important than our own welfare...
Sounds like a very disturbed person. Many autistic people have co-occurring mental health problems and a lot of depression and anxiety, so some people could be quite a mess in terms of mental health. But I am not trying to defend crime. People on the spectrum are people first and foremost and as with all people you could in theory find all sorts, including some very disturbed or nasty ones. Generally research shows aspies are statistically more often victims rather than perpetrators of crime.
Whether an individual understands the crime he has committed in his particular circumstances can only be answered specifically about that individual in those circumstances via a due process. Obviously nobody can speak for him here.
There is a campaign going on about the support of autistic people in criminal justice, there was a post here about autistic person admitting guilt without proper support and assessment. I understand there is a problem in the system. I am not really knowledgeable in this area.
On a personal level I would think there should be a due process in line with the law, so all the rights of the autistic person are protected and justice is done. It is such a complex thing, so the court is supposed to apply the due process and protections fairly. I don't know.