Guest guest Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 This is forwarded from 's website and I personally thank him for addressing this issue. Hopefully I won't be sued for forwarding it. But this is something I think that folks need to see and also take action on. Two of the listed deaths here took place in MI in 2002/2003. Mancill and Renner-' deaths could have easily been forgotten, but many folks in MI in the ASD community took action to make sure that was not the case. In the instance of Mancill's death, at the hands of group home staff, we wrote letters to the County Prosecutor, provided example letters to folks so they could do so. There would have been no prosecution otherwise...we knew that. One group home worker was ultimately charged and plead. In the case of Renner- we did the same, the prosecutor that year was running for re-election and folded......he would not bring charges against the school personnel that restrained and denied him emergency medical attention for over 30 minutes as he lay unresponsive. Nothing also resulted from the investigation because the school would not release information. To answer the MPAS and Autism Society of MI filed a district court case against the district for the violation of 's rights which resulted in his death. There should be no "invisible victims" here, our kids lives are not of less value either. The recent cases that Lenny posted, why are the parents in that arson case only being charged with manslaughter.....they thought out a plan and killed their child...that is murder. We can all make choices in this, remain silent, or provide a voice for such vicitms so that their lives are not lost in vain. It does make a difference folks, I've seen it happen. But in essence it would just be better to find the answer to the "why" of these incidents. Additionally this is not a problem that is specific to the ASD community, unfortunately lots of folks take the lives of their children, individuals are victimized and abused each day, but it's when it goes without notice.......that is when is so much more harmful. Getting off the soapbox but this does turn so sour in my stomach and it will yours as well when you read this. Carolyn Murder of Autistics This is the most difficult page to write on my site. The reason it is difficult is that these atrocities are still happening today - autistics are being killed simply because they are autistic. I'm sorry, but these pages will be hard for anyone who has respect for the lives of autistics to read. There is simply no way to present this subject without causing pain - especially in those who relate to the dead. But this subject must be presented, and I must write about it, in the hope that even one murder could be prevented by the words here. Some of the autistics mentioned were intentionally killed, with the desired result by the murderers being death of the autistic. Others were killed as a result of gross negligence, neglect, failure to follow proper medical protocols, medical experimentation without proper oversight, or attempts to "cure" autism using untested and dangerous methods (for the record, autism has no cure). This page may be very difficult to read, especially for those who have survived restraint or abuse. I'm sorry for any pain it causes to these readers. I will also warn the reader that I do not attempt to relate to, condone, or otherwise understand the actions of the murderers. Their acts can not be justified, nor will they be justified on this site. In Loving Memory...This page is dedicated to those autistics who were killed because they were autistic, including: Casey Albury (Age 17, died 1997) Auriemma (Age 20, died 5 Dec. 2003)Dale Bartolome (Age 27, died 29 July 2002)-Antoine Blais (Age 6, died Nov. 1996) Bland (Age 38, 2004) Bogrett (Age 9, died 1 Dec. 1995) Britt (Age 6, died 3 March 2001)Casey Collier (Age 17, died 21 Dec. 1993)Maggie Caraballo (Age 38, died 20 Aug. 2003)Terrance Cottrell, Jr. (Age 8, died 22 Aug. 2003) ph Cummings, Jr. (Age 46, died 16 Nov. 1999) Dawes (Age 10, died Aug. 2003)Brahim Dukes (Age 18, died 29 Dec. 2001) Goodman (Age 14, died 6 Feb. 2002)Jim Helm (died 1998) Jobin (Age 13, died 17 June 1998) Leubner (Age 13, died 4 Sept. 1999) Markcrow (Age 36, died 29 March 2005) Malphus (Age 5, died 19 April 2000) Mancill (Age 24, died 13 Feb. 2002)Abubakar Nadama (Age 5, died 23 Aug. 2005)Mark Owens-Young-Rogan (Age 11, died 17 Sept. 2001)Pierre Pasquiou (Age 10, died 28 Dec. 1998) Pinckney (Age 23, died 2 April 2005) Renner- (Age 15, died 25 Aug. 2003)Nozomu Shinozaki (Age 22, died 25 Feb. 2003)Tanaka (Age 14, died 24 July 2002) Vick (Age 23, died 25 May 2002)Wayne Winter (Age 39, died 15 Jan. 2001)Willie (Age 15, died 4 March 2000) When these lives were taken from the world, some of the world's beauty and wonder was taken with them. We have lost that beauty and wonder forever. Sentences Received In most cases, the courts have found the parents, doctors, or care-givers who caused the death of these autistics guilty. However, it is only rarely for murder, and sentences tend to be very light. (note that I do not have sentencing information for all the murders on this page) For example: Casey Albury's Mother - 5 months, manslaughter (Casey was strangled) Dale Bartolome's Father - committed suicide (Dale was shot) -Antoine Blais's Mother - 23 month suspended sentence - 1 year in halfway house, no jail time served ( was drowned) Bland's Sister - 43 years, murder and dependent abuse ( starved to death) Britt - Father: 10 years, suspended to 4 years with 5 months probation and credit for time served, Unlawful Conduct Toward a Child; Mother: no penalty ( was beaten and then suffocated) Casey Collier's facility - No significant sanctions of any sort - note that another restraint death in this facility in 1999 (Casey died of suffocation while being restrained face-down in a way which prevented him from breathing) Terrance Cottrell Jr's "minister" - 2.5 years prison, 7 1/2 years extended supervision, $1,200 restitution, Physical Abuse of a Child (Terrance died of suffocation while being sat upon by the minister during a prayer service to "release him from demons") ph Cummings, Junior's Father - 5 years, manslaughter ( was stabbed to death) Dawes's Mother - 5 years "good behavior bond" (similar to US probation, no jail time), manslaughter ( was strangled) Brahim Dukes's Stepmother - trial is still in progress (Brahim was starved) Goodman's care-givers - Fines for abuse, neglect, and leaving in restraints unattended; no criminal charges, however ( Goodman died as a result of receiving too much medication and being improperly restrained) Jobin's care-givers - While an inquest was held, this was not a court trial and did not result in any judgment against the home ( died from suffocation after being restrained under a beanbag and the weight of several care-givers) Leubner's Mother - 6 years in prison and $210 surcharge, Arson 2 and Manslaughter 1 ( burned to death in his home as a result of an intentionally set fire) Malphus's Mother - Life + 60 years in prison, murder; social workers faced 15 and 20 day suspensions due to improperly investigating 's circumstances prior to his murder ( was drowned) Markcrow's Mother - 2 years suspended sentence (as long as she is on "good behavior" basically, she won't have to actually serve that time), Manslaughter ( was poisoned and then suffocated with a plastic sack) Abubakar Nadama's Physician - none (Abubakar suffered a heart attack while undergoing a dangerous and unnecessary medical procedure to cure his autism) Pierre Pasquiou's Mother - 3 year suspended sentence (Pierre was drowned) Mark Owens-Young-Rogan's Mother - committed suicide (Mark's mother jumped off a bridge with him) Nozomu Shinozaki killers - 4 plea bargained to manslaughter while charges were dropped against 5 others (Nozomu was beaten during a session of vigilante justice) Tanaka's Father - 3 year suspended sentence, no time served (Tanaka was strangled) Vick's Group Home - Contract was canceled by the State of Texas; no criminal charges ( died as a result of improper restraint) Willie 's care-givers - no consequences of any kind (Willie died due to the way he was restrained in a mental hospital) Out of the cases mentioned here, only two received a significant sentence when compared to those received by people found guilty of murdering an neurotypical child. Many did not serve any jail time, and others felt no consequences at all for their actions. For comparison, I searched for murders of non-autistic children, and picked the first 5 I saw that did not involve sexual assault (note that some of the autistics murdered were not children, although most were): A Johannesburg South African man was jailed for 8 years for simply planning the murder of his child Dail's murderer, a drunk driver, was sentenced to life+26 months for causing an accident which killed 4 year-old son's Mother's boyfriend was sentenced to life without parole for beating 2 year-old to death Nahaman Carmona , a 13 year old Guatemalan street kid, was murdered by 4 police officers who kicked him to death. The four officers were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and ordered to pay a total of 20,000 Quetzales to the boy's mother Kennedy McFarlane's Mother's boyfriend was sentenced to life in prison for beating 3 year-old Kennedy to death. The obvious conclusion is awful. A man who planned on murdering his child or who got into a car accident after drinking faces years in prison while parents who planned and executed the murder of their children get off without any jail time, simply because their children happened to be autistic. But what about the parents... I've actually been criticized as insensitive and heartless for caring about the autistics that are dying at the hands of people who are supposed to care for them. The person saying this is usually trying to change my focus from the child who is dead to the parent who didn't have enough support. While I realize there is a legitimate need for support, and parents do not often receive as much they need (especially respite care), the same excuse has been used by parents who murdered neurotypical children. For instance, a single parent will be raising three or four neurotypical children. One day, he will snap and murder his children. He then spends the rest of his life in jail, despite his pleas that trying to raise a family on his own, while working 50 hours a week, cleaning a house, and making meals is very difficult work and that he lacked the necessary support. He still gets life in prison. Yet if he adds one word - "disabled" - when talking about his child, he has immediate sympathy for his actions. A murderer of a neurotypical child rarely has an acceptable justification for a jury - regardless of the murderer's mental state. I ask for the same treatment for murderers of autistics - just because the child isn't as presentable doesn't mean the murder is any less awful. Parents have criticized me for not understanding their struggle. I will admit that I can't fully appreciate what it is like to raise an autistic child, as I haven't done that. But I do believe parents deserve a lot of credit and have a difficult job. A difficult job isn't justification for murder, though. Child molesters have used the argument that they have a chemical imbalance in their brain which causes a deviant sex drive. They have claimed that these are some of the strongest emotions a person can face. Yet few child molesters have met public sympathy, despite there being some psychological evidence that there may be some truth to their statements. The courts, world-wide, have consistently stated that there are other outlets for those impulses, other ways of expressing them, and ways of receiving help for them. Courts do not generally believe a child molester when he says he had no choice but to do the sexual act. Nor should they, scientific evidence here is on the side of the court, even if there is some truth in what the molesters say. The same goes for murder, especially premeditated murder, where the killer planned well in advance. There are other outlets for frustration over lack of support. There is always a way out other then murder - perhaps family, perhaps friends, perhaps a church, perhaps the state. In civilized countries, the state is obligated to ensure the safety of children - so placing the child under state care is an option for those living in civilized countries (and even if this is a bad option, it is less likely to be permanent and is also a better option than death). Mercy Killing Another excuse often used to justify murder of autistics is that the autistic will never have a high quality of life - he'll be confined to an institution, he won't be able to communicate, and he won't even be able to experience the emotions of joy, happiness, and love. This is simply not true. Some people, autistic and neurotypical both, go through life generally unhappy. But being autistic does not sentence you to that life, no matter how "low functioning" you are. Even the lowest functioning person can enjoy life, although it may look differently then what someone else would enjoy, and it may even be a life that few others would enjoy. As for the confinement issue, it is possible for even very low functioning adult autistics - without speech or toilet skills even - to live in the community. But, even if someone is confined to an institution, this is not sufficient reason to kill them. Where the person loses quality of life due to confinement, the confinement is the problem to be addressed if you wish to improve quality of the autistic's life. Murder doesn't address the true problems. While you could kill a person who has a cold, and that would end their suffering due to their cold, a more appropriate method is to provide them medical assistance, rest, plenty of fluids, and compassion. We should aim to solve the problems facing autistics, not eliminate the autistics themselves. The excuse that "I am preventing suffering by killing the child" is a poor one. No person can know what is ahead for a child. Even those who believe there is a qualitative difference in quality of life between low functioning and high functioning person (I don't believe this) must realize that this line is less clear then they would like. For instance, I didn't speak until I was nearly 5. I know other autistics who didn't speak until their teenage years, and yet others that could speak years ago but do not today. Many of them enjoy life, and none of them would wish someone else to decide to take their lives to "spare them the miseries of the world". Murder is not done out of love, but out of a desire to impose one's own opinions on another, hatred, or selfishness. It is often an expression of prejudice. Less Valuable Life While it is rarely spoken of directly, society's view on the murder of mentally disabled persons is that mentally disabled persons are less valuable. Even the disabled community contributes to this, with statements such as a blind man saying, "I'm a person - I still have my mind!" (implying that not having a neurotypical mind makes a someone less of a person). But it is worst outside the disabled community. When a drunk driver, who does not plan the result that occurs, is sent to jail for life after killing a innocent child, surely a parent who plans a murder of her child should also get the same sentence. The drunk driver may claim that his mind was impaired and his judgment cloudy because of the alcohol, but the court will respond that there was a way out - he simply should not have drove. Murder of autistic children does not need to occur. Society isn't forcing mothers and fathers to kill their own children, although it does tell those parents that their actions, while a bit wrong, were justifiable (for the most egregious example of this, le Blais received a job with the Quebec Autism Society after murdering her child). Murder is wrong, because life is valuable. Neurotypical life is valuable. Autistic life is valuable. In many places, though, there are stricter penalties for cruelty to animals then cruelty to an autistic. I know of no place where someone who caused great pain to a dog, in ways that would be considered torture by most people, and eventually killing the dog would not face criminal charges. Yet it is not unusual for a murderer of an autistic to face no charges. For instance, if I told you that I tied a dog on a table in such a way as to immobilize him, in such a way as to prevent him from fully breathing, while I listened to his sounds of terror and pain, and eventually watched him die, I would expect you to consider me a horribly cruel person. In fact, I hope you would - anyone who would do this to an animal is a cruel person. Yet there have been autistics who have died in identical ways. It is a very cruel death to die from suffocation while restrained. Many of those killed even cried out that they couldn't breathe, but their complaints were dismissed (with words like, "If you can talk, you can breathe," which isn't true when using restraints). And they died this horrible death at the hands of those who were supposed to be caring for them. I am aware of several incidents where the autistic came close to death or even died while being restrained, including some that I mention on this page, but I am aware of none where charges - or even disciplinary actions - were made against those that caused the death - despite the normally higher accountability medical practitioners are held to. It turns out that those society considers disabled or mentally ill not worthy of the same respect as those who are considered "normal". In fact, they are often not even worthy of the same amount of respect as a dog. Horrible Deaths Regarding the victims mentioned here, only two could have died instantly. The others were strangled, drowned, starved, or bleed to death after being stabbed. In each of these, there would have been horrible fear in each of the victims as someone who was entrusted with their proper care, and, in many cases, loved by the victim, caused horrendous pain. These methods of murder do not show mercy - they are among some of the most gruesome methods of inflicting death. In fact, with some of these murders, the murderer failed with the first and, sometimes, even the second known attempt to kill the child. Yet this is a not unusual - few murders of children don't cause horrible pain and fear, so this should not be surprising. Support for Parents Parents do need support. Saying that murder is wrong does not contradict that statement. In criminal cases, it is just and right to hope for a sentence that is not weaker simply because of the social standing of the victim. Some parents believe that this weakens their position with regard to the current level of services. This is not true. Rather then justifying evil actions, we need good parents and care-givers to engage in political action, showing that autistic life is valuable and worthy of support is the pressing need. We do not serve the cause when we support sentencing that weakens the value of autistic life. A Word on "One-Sidedness" I have received several complaints about this site being one-sided in it's presentation of facts on these murder cases. Please feel free to send me information about murders of autistics where the victim's memory was respected through proper sentencing. I have tried to include all cases where the person would not have been killed if the he was neurotypical, regardless of whether that case supports my statements or not. All these deaths need to be remembered. I encourage and support anyone who feels the need to do their own research to verify the facts. I ask only that, before my statements are dismissed, that you do verify the facts. If you believe I am being one-sided by being selective about the cases I present, I ask you to do that research - for your own peace of mind. I also hope that you will send me information on murders that were not included here, so that I can remember the victim by adding him to this site. Additions If you are aware of a murder where the victim was killed because he/she was autistic, I would like to include the victim's name on this page, as a memorial. Please send mail to growingjoel@..., with the victim's name, age at time of death (if available), and the date the victim died (if available). Because of the serious nature of this page, I ask that you provide any documentation you have that substantiates the claim of murder. Other Sites About Murder and Abuse of Disabled People Other web sites have also documented the devaluation of the lives of autistics and others with disabilities. Note that some of these sites may be very difficult to read for those who have been exposed to abuse in the past. Children Injured by Restraints and Adversives - A parents' organization dedicated to preventing abuse of restraints. Deadly Restraint - A special feature created by the Hartford Courant newspaper. Documents several deaths due to restraint by "professionals". It also includes a database of deaths caused by restraint. Cornelison's Death - This death occurred in 1990. While was not autistic, she was labeled as mentally retarded. People labeled as such often face similar kinds of abuse and torture that autistics face. It is shocking that this facility continues operations today, focusing on autistic individuals in addition to persons labeled mentally retarded. In fact, many consider it one of the premier autism treatment facilities in the United States. The Meaning of 'Murderer' - Discussion of Jack Kevorkian's murder of a person with disability, and his argument that it was simply a "medical service" Murder of Autistic Persons - Another site that details the murders of autistics, and includes additional information on deaths in institutions, group homes, schools, etc. Not Dead Yet - A disability-rights organization which opposes euthanasia United States of Leland - The Sub-human Life - A critique of the movie United States of Leland in which an autistic murder victim is used as a plot device to obtain sympathy for the killer. Links About Murders of Disabled During the Holocaust The first persons killed in the holocaust were "mentally ill" persons (note that there was not a separate diagnosis of autism at the time, so exact numbers are unavailable) who, according to Hitler and his doctors, were unfit for life. The reasons used during the holocaust are the same reasons being used today to justify the murderers of autistics. These killings preceded the other horrible atrocities in Germany, possibly because they were more palatable to the population. Life unworthy of life A proclamation to remember these deaths Links About Specific Murders There are many reports on-line of the murders of autistics. A few of them are listed below. Maggie Caraballo Leubner Malphus Abubakar Nadama Corrections Every effort has been made to validate sources before including names or events on this page. However, if you feel any of this information is in error, I ask for you to send mail to growingjoel@.... Please include any documentation available to you. Thank You I want to thank A M Baggs for the help with proofreading this site and helping me research these cases. I also want to thank the parents, who, after learning of their child's autism and dealing with the stresses of raising someone who is different, continued to show love and compassion for their children as they came to terms with a child who wasn't what they expected, but who was wonderful and precious. I thank my parents for allowing me to experience life, and didn't take what would have been an easy way out. Copyright © 2001-2006 by - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Remember when that Spacey movie was gonna come out where the teenager kills the boy with autism because he felt sorry for him and the rest of the movie was about understanding the murderer? This seems to be the same thing, only there's not the overwhelming outrage from the autism community like the movie. Debi > > > This is forwarded from 's website and I personally thank him for addressing this issue. Hopefully I won't be sued for forwarding it. But this is something I think that folks need to see and also take action on. Two of the listed deaths here took place in MI in 2002/2003. > Mancill and Renner-' deaths could have easily been forgotten, but many folks in MI in the ASD community took action to make sure that was not the case. In the instance of Mancill's death, at the hands of group home staff, we wrote letters to the County Prosecutor, provided example letters to folks so they could do so. There would have been no prosecution otherwise...we knew that. One group home worker was ultimately charged and plead. > In the case of Renner- we did the same, the prosecutor that year was running for re-election and folded......he would not bring charges against the school personnel that restrained and denied him emergency medical attention for over 30 minutes as he lay unresponsive. Nothing also resulted from the investigation because the school would not release information. To answer the MPAS and Autism Society of MI filed a district court case against the district for the violation of 's rights which resulted in his death. There should be no " invisible victims " here, our kids lives are not of less value either. The recent cases that Lenny posted, why are the parents in that arson case only being charged with manslaughter.....they thought out a plan and killed their child...that is murder. We can all make choices in this, remain silent, or provide a voice for such vicitms so that their lives are not lost in vain. It does make a difference folks, I've seen it happen. But in essence it would just be better to find the answer to the " why " of these incidents. Additionally this is not a problem that is specific to the ASD community, unfortunately lots of folks take the lives of their children, individuals are victimized and abused each day, but it's when it goes without notice.......that is when is so much more harmful. Getting off the soapbox but this does turn so sour in my stomach and it will yours as well when you read this. > Carolyn > > > Murder of Autistics > This is the most difficult page to write on my site. The reason it is difficult is that these atrocities are still happening today - autistics are being killed simply because they are autistic. I'm sorry, but these pages will be hard for anyone who has respect for the lives of autistics to read. There is simply no way to present this subject without causing pain - especially in those who relate to the dead. But this subject must be presented, and I must write about it, in the hope that even one murder could be prevented by the words here. > > Some of the autistics mentioned were intentionally killed, with the desired result by the murderers being death of the autistic. Others were killed as a result of gross negligence, neglect, failure to follow proper medical protocols, medical experimentation without proper oversight, or attempts to " cure " autism using untested and dangerous methods (for the record, autism has no cure). > > This page may be very difficult to read, especially for those who have survived restraint or abuse. I'm sorry for any pain it causes to these readers. > > I will also warn the reader that I do not attempt to relate to, condone, or otherwise understand the actions of the murderers. Their acts can not be justified, nor will they be justified on this site. > > In Loving Memory... > This page is dedicated to those autistics who were killed because they were autistic, including: > > Casey Albury (Age 17, died 1997) > Auriemma (Age 20, died 5 Dec. 2003) > Dale Bartolome (Age 27, died 29 July 2002) > -Antoine Blais (Age 6, died Nov. 1996) > Bland (Age 38, 2004) > Bogrett (Age 9, died 1 Dec. 1995) > Britt (Age 6, died 3 March 2001) > Casey Collier (Age 17, died 21 Dec. 1993) > Maggie Caraballo (Age 38, died 20 Aug. 2003) > Terrance Cottrell, Jr. (Age 8, died 22 Aug. 2003) > ph Cummings, Jr. (Age 46, died 16 Nov. 1999) > Dawes (Age 10, died Aug. 2003) > Brahim Dukes (Age 18, died 29 Dec. 2001) > Goodman (Age 14, died 6 Feb. 2002) > Jim Helm (died 1998) > Jobin (Age 13, died 17 June 1998) > Leubner (Age 13, died 4 Sept. 1999) > Markcrow (Age 36, died 29 March 2005) > Malphus (Age 5, died 19 April 2000) > Mancill (Age 24, died 13 Feb. 2002) > Abubakar Nadama (Age 5, died 23 Aug. 2005) > Mark Owens-Young-Rogan (Age 11, died 17 Sept. 2001) > Pierre Pasquiou (Age 10, died 28 Dec. 1998) > Pinckney (Age 23, died 2 April 2005) > Renner- (Age 15, died 25 Aug. 2003) > Nozomu Shinozaki (Age 22, died 25 Feb. 2003) > Tanaka (Age 14, died 24 July 2002) > Vick (Age 23, died 25 May 2002) > Wayne Winter (Age 39, died 15 Jan. 2001) > Willie (Age 15, died 4 March 2000) > > > When these lives were taken from the world, some of the world's beauty and wonder was taken with them. We have lost that beauty and wonder forever. > > Sentences Received > In most cases, the courts have found the parents, doctors, or care-givers who caused the death of these autistics guilty. However, it is only rarely for murder, and sentences tend to be very light. (note that I do not have sentencing information for all the murders on this page) For example: > > > a.. Casey Albury's Mother - 5 months, manslaughter (Casey was strangled) > b.. Dale Bartolome's Father - committed suicide (Dale was shot) > c.. -Antoine Blais's Mother - 23 month suspended sentence - 1 year in halfway house, no jail time served ( was drowned) > d.. Bland's Sister - 43 years, murder and dependent abuse ( starved to death) > e.. Britt - Father: 10 years, suspended to 4 years with 5 months probation and credit for time served, Unlawful Conduct Toward a Child; Mother: no penalty ( was beaten and then suffocated) > f.. Casey Collier's facility - No significant sanctions of any sort - note that another restraint death in this facility in 1999 (Casey died of suffocation while being restrained face-down in a way which prevented him from breathing) > g.. Terrance Cottrell Jr's " minister " - 2.5 years prison, 7 1/2 years extended supervision, $1,200 restitution, Physical Abuse of a Child (Terrance died of suffocation while being sat upon by the minister during a prayer service to " release him from demons " ) > h.. ph Cummings, Junior's Father - 5 years, manslaughter ( was stabbed to death) > i.. Dawes's Mother - 5 years " good behavior bond " (similar to US probation, no jail time), manslaughter ( was strangled) > j.. Brahim Dukes's Stepmother - trial is still in progress (Brahim was starved) > k.. Goodman's care-givers - Fines for abuse, neglect, and leaving in restraints unattended; no criminal charges, however ( Goodman died as a result of receiving too much medication and being improperly restrained) > l.. Jobin's care-givers - While an inquest was held, this was not a court trial and did not result in any judgment against the home ( died from suffocation after being restrained under a beanbag and the weight of several care-givers) > m.. Leubner's Mother - 6 years in prison and $210 surcharge, Arson 2 and Manslaughter 1 ( burned to death in his home as a result of an intentionally set fire) > n.. Malphus's Mother - Life + 60 years in prison, murder; social workers faced 15 and 20 day suspensions due to improperly investigating 's circumstances prior to his murder ( was drowned) > o.. Markcrow's Mother - 2 years suspended sentence (as long as she is on " good behavior " basically, she won't have to actually serve that time), Manslaughter ( was poisoned and then suffocated with a plastic sack) > p.. Abubakar Nadama's Physician - none (Abubakar suffered a heart attack while undergoing a dangerous and unnecessary medical procedure to cure his autism) > q.. Pierre Pasquiou's Mother - 3 year suspended sentence (Pierre was drowned) > r.. Mark Owens-Young-Rogan's Mother - committed suicide (Mark's mother jumped off a bridge with him) > s.. Nozomu Shinozaki killers - 4 plea bargained to manslaughter while charges were dropped against 5 others (Nozomu was beaten during a session of vigilante justice) > t.. Tanaka's Father - 3 year suspended sentence, no time served (Tanaka was strangled) > u.. Vick's Group Home - Contract was canceled by the State of Texas; no criminal charges ( died as a result of improper restraint) > v.. Willie 's care-givers - no consequences of any kind (Willie died due to the way he was restrained in a mental hospital) > > Out of the cases mentioned here, only two received a significant sentence when compared to those received by people found guilty of murdering an neurotypical child. Many did not serve any jail time, and others felt no consequences at all for their actions. For comparison, I searched for murders of non-autistic children, and picked the first 5 I saw that did not involve sexual assault (note that some of the autistics murdered were not children, although most were): > > > a.. A Johannesburg South African man was jailed for 8 years for simply planning the murder of his child > b.. Dail's murderer, a drunk driver, was sentenced to life+26 months for causing an accident which killed 4 year-old > c.. son's Mother's boyfriend was sentenced to life without parole for beating 2 year-old to death > d.. Nahaman Carmona , a 13 year old Guatemalan street kid, was murdered by 4 police officers who kicked him to death. The four officers were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and ordered to pay a total of 20,000 Quetzales to the boy's mother > e.. Kennedy McFarlane's Mother's boyfriend was sentenced to life in prison for beating 3 year-old Kennedy to death. > > The obvious conclusion is awful. A man who planned on murdering his child or who got into a car accident after drinking faces years in prison while parents who planned and executed the murder of their children get off without any jail time, simply because their children happened to be autistic. > > But what about the parents... > I've actually been criticized as insensitive and heartless for caring about the autistics that are dying at the hands of people who are supposed to care for them. The person saying this is usually trying to change my focus from the child who is dead to the parent who didn't have enough support. While I realize there is a legitimate need for support, and parents do not often receive as much they need (especially respite care), the same excuse has been used by parents who murdered neurotypical children. For instance, a single parent will be raising three or four neurotypical children. One day, he will snap and murder his children. He then spends the rest of his life in jail, despite his pleas that trying to raise a family on his own, while working 50 hours a week, cleaning a house, and making meals is very difficult work and that he lacked the necessary support. He still gets life in prison. Yet if he adds one word - " disabled " - when talking about his child, he has immediate sympathy for his actions. A murderer of a neurotypical child rarely has an acceptable justification for a jury - regardless of the murderer's mental state. I ask for the same treatment for murderers of autistics - just because the child isn't as presentable doesn't mean the murder is any less awful. > > Parents have criticized me for not understanding their struggle. I will admit that I can't fully appreciate what it is like to raise an autistic child, as I haven't done that. But I do believe parents deserve a lot of credit and have a difficult job. A difficult job isn't justification for murder, though. > > Child molesters have used the argument that they have a chemical imbalance in their brain which causes a deviant sex drive. They have claimed that these are some of the strongest emotions a person can face. Yet few child molesters have met public sympathy, despite there being some psychological evidence that there may be some truth to their statements. The courts, world-wide, have consistently stated that there are other outlets for those impulses, other ways of expressing them, and ways of receiving help for them. Courts do not generally believe a child molester when he says he had no choice but to do the sexual act. Nor should they, scientific evidence here is on the side of the court, even if there is some truth in what the molesters say. The same goes for murder, especially premeditated murder, where the killer planned well in advance. There are other outlets for frustration over lack of support. There is always a way out other then murder - perhaps family, perhaps friends, perhaps a church, perhaps the state. In civilized countries, the state is obligated to ensure the safety of children - so placing the child under state care is an option for those living in civilized countries (and even if this is a bad option, it is less likely to be permanent and is also a better option than death). > > Mercy Killing > Another excuse often used to justify murder of autistics is that the autistic will never have a high quality of life - he'll be confined to an institution, he won't be able to communicate, and he won't even be able to experience the emotions of joy, happiness, and love. > > This is simply not true. Some people, autistic and neurotypical both, go through life generally unhappy. But being autistic does not sentence you to that life, no matter how " low functioning " you are. Even the lowest functioning person can enjoy life, although it may look differently then what someone else would enjoy, and it may even be a life that few others would enjoy. > > As for the confinement issue, it is possible for even very low functioning adult autistics - without speech or toilet skills even - to live in the community. But, even if someone is confined to an institution, this is not sufficient reason to kill them. Where the person loses quality of life due to confinement, the confinement is the problem to be addressed if you wish to improve quality of the autistic's life. Murder doesn't address the true problems. While you could kill a person who has a cold, and that would end their suffering due to their cold, a more appropriate method is to provide them medical assistance, rest, plenty of fluids, and compassion. We should aim to solve the problems facing autistics, not eliminate the autistics themselves. > > The excuse that " I am preventing suffering by killing the child " is a poor one. No person can know what is ahead for a child. Even those who believe there is a qualitative difference in quality of life between low functioning and high functioning person (I don't believe this) must realize that this line is less clear then they would like. For instance, I didn't speak until I was nearly 5. I know other autistics who didn't speak until their teenage years, and yet others that could speak years ago but do not today. Many of them enjoy life, and none of them would wish someone else to decide to take their lives to " spare them the miseries of the world " . Murder is not done out of love, but out of a desire to impose one's own opinions on another, hatred, or selfishness. It is often an expression of prejudice. > > Less Valuable Life > While it is rarely spoken of directly, society's view on the murder of mentally disabled persons is that mentally disabled persons are less valuable. Even the disabled community contributes to this, with statements such as a blind man saying, " I'm a person - I still have my mind! " (implying that not having a neurotypical mind makes a someone less of a person). But it is worst outside the disabled community. When a drunk driver, who does not plan the result that occurs, is sent to jail for life after killing a innocent child, surely a parent who plans a murder of her child should also get the same sentence. The drunk driver may claim that his mind was impaired and his judgment cloudy because of the alcohol, but the court will respond that there was a way out - he simply should not have drove. Murder of autistic children does not need to occur. Society isn't forcing mothers and fathers to kill their own children, although it does tell those parents that their actions, while a bit wrong, were justifiable (for the most egregious example of this, le Blais received a job with the Quebec Autism Society after murdering her child). > > Murder is wrong, because life is valuable. Neurotypical life is valuable. Autistic life is valuable. In many places, though, there are stricter penalties for cruelty to animals then cruelty to an autistic. I know of no place where someone who caused great pain to a dog, in ways that would be considered torture by most people, and eventually killing the dog would not face criminal charges. Yet it is not unusual for a murderer of an autistic to face no charges. For instance, if I told you that I tied a dog on a table in such a way as to immobilize him, in such a way as to prevent him from fully breathing, while I listened to his sounds of terror and pain, and eventually watched him die, I would expect you to consider me a horribly cruel person. In fact, I hope you would - anyone who would do this to an animal is a cruel person. Yet there have been autistics who have died in identical ways. It is a very cruel death to die from suffocation while restrained. Many of those killed even cried out that they couldn't breathe, but their complaints were dismissed (with words like, " If you can talk, you can breathe, " which isn't true when using restraints). And they died this horrible death at the hands of those who were supposed to be caring for them. I am aware of several incidents where the autistic came close to death or even died while being restrained, including some that I mention on this page, but I am aware of none where charges - or even disciplinary actions - were made against those that caused the death - despite the normally higher accountability medical practitioners are held to. It turns out that those society considers disabled or mentally ill not worthy of the same respect as those who are considered " normal " . In fact, they are often not even worthy of the same amount of respect as a dog. > > Horrible Deaths > Regarding the victims mentioned here, only two could have died instantly. The others were strangled, drowned, starved, or bleed to death after being stabbed. In each of these, there would have been horrible fear in each of the victims as someone who was entrusted with their proper care, and, in many cases, loved by the victim, caused horrendous pain. These methods of murder do not show mercy - they are among some of the most gruesome methods of inflicting death. In fact, with some of these murders, the murderer failed with the first and, sometimes, even the second known attempt to kill the child. Yet this is a not unusual - few murders of children don't cause horrible pain and fear, so this should not be surprising. > > Support for Parents > Parents do need support. Saying that murder is wrong does not contradict that statement. In criminal cases, it is just and right to hope for a sentence that is not weaker simply because of the social standing of the victim. > > Some parents believe that this weakens their position with regard to the current level of services. This is not true. Rather then justifying evil actions, we need good parents and care-givers to engage in political action, showing that autistic life is valuable and worthy of support is the pressing need. We do not serve the cause when we support sentencing that weakens the value of autistic life. > > A Word on " One-Sidedness " > I have received several complaints about this site being one-sided in it's presentation of facts on these murder cases. Please feel free to send me information about murders of autistics where the victim's memory was respected through proper sentencing. I have tried to include all cases where the person would not have been killed if the he was neurotypical, regardless of whether that case supports my statements or not. All these deaths need to be remembered. I encourage and support anyone who feels the need to do their own research to verify the facts. I ask only that, before my statements are dismissed, that you do verify the facts. If you believe I am being one-sided by being selective about the cases I present, I ask you to do that research - for your own peace of mind. I also hope that you will send me information on murders that were not included here, so that I can remember the victim by adding him to this site. > > Additions > If you are aware of a murder where the victim was killed because he/she was autistic, I would like to include the victim's name on this page, as a memorial. Please send mail to growingjoel@..., with the victim's name, age at time of death (if available), and the date the victim died (if available). Because of the serious nature of this page, I ask that you provide any documentation you have that substantiates the claim of murder. > > Other Sites About Murder and Abuse of Disabled People > Other web sites have also documented the devaluation of the lives of autistics and others with disabilities. Note that some of these sites may be very difficult to read for those who have been exposed to abuse in the past. > > > a.. Children Injured by Restraints and Adversives - A parents' organization dedicated to preventing abuse of restraints. > b.. Deadly Restraint - A special feature created by the Hartford Courant newspaper. Documents several deaths due to restraint by " professionals " . It also includes a database of deaths caused by restraint. > c.. Cornelison's Death - This death occurred in 1990. While was not autistic, she was labeled as mentally retarded. People labeled as such often face similar kinds of abuse and torture that autistics face. It is shocking that this facility continues operations today, focusing on autistic individuals in addition to persons labeled mentally retarded. In fact, many consider it one of the premier autism treatment facilities in the United States. > d.. The Meaning of 'Murderer' - Discussion of Jack Kevorkian's murder of a person with disability, and his argument that it was simply a " medical service " > e.. Murder of Autistic Persons - Another site that details the murders of autistics, and includes additional information on deaths in institutions, group homes, schools, etc. > f.. Not Dead Yet - A disability-rights organization which opposes euthanasia > g.. United States of Leland - The Sub-human Life - A critique of the movie United States of Leland in which an autistic murder victim is used as a plot device to obtain sympathy for the killer. > > Links About Murders of Disabled During the Holocaust > The first persons killed in the holocaust were " mentally ill " persons (note that there was not a separate diagnosis of autism at the time, so exact numbers are unavailable) who, according to Hitler and his doctors, were unfit for life. The reasons used during the holocaust are the same reasons being used today to justify the murderers of autistics. These killings preceded the other horrible atrocities in Germany, possibly because they were more palatable to the population. > > > a.. Life unworthy of life > b.. A proclamation to remember these deaths > > Links About Specific Murders > There are many reports on-line of the murders of autistics. A few of them are listed below. > > > a.. Maggie Caraballo > b.. Leubner > c.. Malphus > d.. Abubakar Nadama > > Corrections > Every effort has been made to validate sources before including names or events on this page. However, if you feel any of this information is in error, I ask for you to send mail to growingjoel@... Please include any documentation available to you. > > Thank You > I want to thank A M Baggs for the help with proofreading this site and helping me research these cases. > > I also want to thank the parents, who, after learning of their child's autism and dealing with the stresses of raising someone who is different, continued to show love and compassion for their children as they came to terms with a child who wasn't what they expected, but who was wonderful and precious. I thank my parents for allowing me to experience life, and didn't take what would have been an easy way out. > > Copyright © 2001-2006 by - > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Gee, do you think so? You know it's been playing on a cable movie channel. Re: Murders Remember when that Spacey movie was gonna come out where theteenager kills the boy with autism because he felt sorry for him andthe rest of the movie was about understanding the murderer? This seemsto be the same thing, only there's not the overwhelming outrage fromthe autism community like the movie.Debi >> > This is forwarded from 's website and I personally thankhim for addressing this issue. Hopefully I won't be sued forforwarding it. But this is something I think that folks need to seeand also take action on. Two of the listed deaths here took place inMI in 2002/2003. > Mancill and Renner-' deaths could have easilybeen forgotten, but many folks in MI in the ASD community took actionto make sure that was not the case. In the instance of Mancill's death, at the hands of group home staff, we wrote letters tothe County Prosecutor, provided example letters to folks so they coulddo so. There would have been no prosecution otherwise...we knew that.One group home worker was ultimately charged and plead. > In the case of Renner- we did the same, the prosecutorthat year was running for re-election and folded......he would notbring charges against the school personnel that restrained anddenied him emergency medical attention for over 30 minutes as he layunresponsive. Nothing also resulted from the investigation becausethe school would not release information. To answer the MPAS andAutism Society of MI filed a district court case against the districtfor the violation of 's rights which resulted in his death. There should be no "invisible victims" here, our kids lives are not ofless value either. The recent cases that Lenny posted, why are theparents in that arson case only being charged withmanslaughter.....they thought out a plan and killed their child...thatis murder. We can all make choices in this, remain silent, or providea voice for such vicitms so that their lives are not lost in vain. Itdoes make a difference folks, I've seen it happen. But in essence itwould just be better to find the answer to the "why" of theseincidents. Additionally this is not a problem that is specific to theASD community, unfortunately lots of folks take the lives of theirchildren, individuals are victimized and abused each day, but it'swhen it goes without notice.......that is when is so much moreharmful. Getting off the soapbox but this does turn so sour in mystomach and it will yours as well when you read this. > Carolyn> > > Murder of Autistics> This is the most difficult page to write on my site. The reason itis difficult is that these atrocities are still happening today -autistics are being killed simply because they are autistic. I'msorry, but these pages will be hard for anyone who has respect for thelives of autistics to read. There is simply no way to present thissubject without causing pain - especially in those who relate to thedead. But this subject must be presented, and I must write about it,in the hope that even one murder could be prevented by the words here. > > Some of the autistics mentioned were intentionally killed, with thedesired result by the murderers being death of the autistic. Otherswere killed as a result of gross negligence, neglect, failure tofollow proper medical protocols, medical experimentation withoutproper oversight, or attempts to "cure" autism using untested anddangerous methods (for the record, autism has no cure). > > This page may be very difficult to read, especially for those whohave survived restraint or abuse. I'm sorry for any pain it causes tothese readers. > > I will also warn the reader that I do not attempt to relate to,condone, or otherwise understand the actions of the murderers. Theiracts can not be justified, nor will they be justified on this site. > > In Loving Memory...> This page is dedicated to those autistics who were killed becausethey were autistic, including: > > Casey Albury (Age 17, died 1997)> Auriemma (Age 20, died 5 Dec. 2003)> Dale Bartolome (Age 27, died 29 July 2002)> -Antoine Blais (Age 6, died Nov. 1996)> Bland (Age 38, 2004)> Bogrett (Age 9, died 1 Dec. 1995)> Britt (Age 6, died 3 March 2001)> Casey Collier (Age 17, died 21 Dec. 1993)> Maggie Caraballo (Age 38, died 20 Aug. 2003)> Terrance Cottrell, Jr. (Age 8, died 22 Aug. 2003)> ph Cummings, Jr. (Age 46, died 16 Nov. 1999)> Dawes (Age 10, died Aug. 2003)> Brahim Dukes (Age 18, died 29 Dec. 2001)> Goodman (Age 14, died 6 Feb. 2002)> Jim Helm (died 1998)> Jobin (Age 13, died 17 June 1998)> Leubner (Age 13, died 4 Sept. 1999)> Markcrow (Age 36, died 29 March 2005)> Malphus (Age 5, died 19 April 2000)> Mancill (Age 24, died 13 Feb. 2002)> Abubakar Nadama (Age 5, died 23 Aug. 2005)> Mark Owens-Young-Rogan (Age 11, died 17 Sept. 2001)> Pierre Pasquiou (Age 10, died 28 Dec. 1998)> Pinckney (Age 23, died 2 April 2005)> Renner- (Age 15, died 25 Aug. 2003)> Nozomu Shinozaki (Age 22, died 25 Feb. 2003)> Tanaka (Age 14, died 24 July 2002)> Vick (Age 23, died 25 May 2002)> Wayne Winter (Age 39, died 15 Jan. 2001)> Willie (Age 15, died 4 March 2000)> > > When these lives were taken from the world, some of the world'sbeauty and wonder was taken with them. We have lost that beauty andwonder forever. > > Sentences Received> In most cases, the courts have found the parents, doctors, orcare-givers who caused the death of these autistics guilty. However,it is only rarely for murder, and sentences tend to be very light.(note that I do not have sentencing information for all the murders onthis page) For example: > > > a.. Casey Albury's Mother - 5 months, manslaughter (Casey wasstrangled) > b.. Dale Bartolome's Father - committed suicide (Dale was shot) > c.. -Antoine Blais's Mother - 23 month suspended sentence -1 year in halfway house, no jail time served ( was drowned) > d.. Bland's Sister - 43 years, murder and dependent abuse( starved to death) > e.. Britt - Father: 10 years, suspended to 4 years with 5months probation and credit for time served, Unlawful Conduct Toward aChild; Mother: no penalty ( was beaten and then suffocated) > f.. Casey Collier's facility - No significant sanctions of anysort - note that another restraint death in this facility in 1999(Casey died of suffocation while being restrained face-down in a waywhich prevented him from breathing) > g.. Terrance Cottrell Jr's "minister" - 2.5 years prison, 7 1/2years extended supervision, $1,200 restitution, Physical Abuse of aChild (Terrance died of suffocation while being sat upon by theminister during a prayer service to "release him from demons") > h.. ph Cummings, Junior's Father - 5 years, manslaughter( was stabbed to death) > i.. Dawes's Mother - 5 years "good behavior bond" (similarto US probation, no jail time), manslaughter ( was strangled) > j.. Brahim Dukes's Stepmother - trial is still in progress (Brahimwas starved) > k.. Goodman's care-givers - Fines for abuse, neglect, andleaving in restraints unattended; no criminal charges, however( Goodman died as a result of receiving too much medication andbeing improperly restrained) > l.. Jobin's care-givers - While an inquest was held,this was not a court trial and did not result in any judgment againstthe home ( died from suffocation after being restrained undera beanbag and the weight of several care-givers) > m.. Leubner's Mother - 6 years in prison and $210surcharge, Arson 2 and Manslaughter 1 ( burned to death in hishome as a result of an intentionally set fire) > n.. Malphus's Mother - Life + 60 years in prison, murder;social workers faced 15 and 20 day suspensions due to improperlyinvestigating 's circumstances prior to his murder ( wasdrowned) > o.. Markcrow's Mother - 2 years suspended sentence (aslong as she is on "good behavior" basically, she won't have toactually serve that time), Manslaughter ( was poisoned and thensuffocated with a plastic sack) > p.. Abubakar Nadama's Physician - none (Abubakar suffered a heartattack while undergoing a dangerous and unnecessary medical procedureto cure his autism) > q.. Pierre Pasquiou's Mother - 3 year suspended sentence (Pierrewas drowned) > r.. Mark Owens-Young-Rogan's Mother - committed suicide (Mark'smother jumped off a bridge with him) > s.. Nozomu Shinozaki killers - 4 plea bargained to manslaughterwhile charges were dropped against 5 others (Nozomu was beaten duringa session of vigilante justice) > t.. Tanaka's Father - 3 year suspended sentence, no time served(Tanaka was strangled) > u.. Vick's Group Home - Contract was canceled by the Stateof Texas; no criminal charges ( died as a result of improperrestraint) > v.. Willie 's care-givers - no consequences of any kind(Willie died due to the way he was restrained in a mental hospital) > > Out of the cases mentioned here, only two received a significantsentence when compared to those received by people found guilty ofmurdering an neurotypical child. Many did not serve any jail time, andothers felt no consequences at all for their actions. For comparison,I searched for murders of non-autistic children, and picked the first5 I saw that did not involve sexual assault (note that some of theautistics murdered were not children, although most were): > > > a.. A Johannesburg South African man was jailed for 8 years forsimply planning the murder of his child > b.. Dail's murderer, a drunk driver, was sentenced tolife+26 months for causing an accident which killed 4 year-old > c.. son's Mother's boyfriend was sentenced to lifewithout parole for beating 2 year-old to death > d.. Nahaman Carmona , a 13 year old Guatemalan street kid,was murdered by 4 police officers who kicked him to death. The fourofficers were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and ordered to pay atotal of 20,000 Quetzales to the boy's mother > e.. Kennedy McFarlane's Mother's boyfriend was sentenced to lifein prison for beating 3 year-old Kennedy to death. > > The obvious conclusion is awful. A man who planned on murdering hischild or who got into a car accident after drinking faces years inprison while parents who planned and executed the murder of theirchildren get off without any jail time, simply because their childrenhappened to be autistic. > > But what about the parents...> I've actually been criticized as insensitive and heartless forcaring about the autistics that are dying at the hands of people whoare supposed to care for them. The person saying this is usuallytrying to change my focus from the child who is dead to the parent whodidn't have enough support. While I realize there is a legitimate needfor support, and parents do not often receive as much they need(especially respite care), the same excuse has been used by parentswho murdered neurotypical children. For instance, a single parent willbe raising three or four neurotypical children. One day, he will snapand murder his children. He then spends the rest of his life in jail,despite his pleas that trying to raise a family on his own, whileworking 50 hours a week, cleaning a house, and making meals is verydifficult work and that he lacked the necessary support. He still getslife in prison. Yet if he adds one word - "disabled" - when talkingabout his child, he has immediate sympathy for his actions. A murdererof a neurotypical child rarely has an acceptable justification for ajury - regardless of the murderer's mental state. I ask for the sametreatment for murderers of autistics - just because the child isn't aspresentable doesn't mean the murder is any less awful. > > Parents have criticized me for not understanding their struggle. Iwill admit that I can't fully appreciate what it is like to raise anautistic child, as I haven't done that. But I do believe parentsdeserve a lot of credit and have a difficult job. A difficult jobisn't justification for murder, though. > > Child molesters have used the argument that they have a chemicalimbalance in their brain which causes a deviant sex drive. They haveclaimed that these are some of the strongest emotions a person canface. Yet few child molesters have met public sympathy, despite therebeing some psychological evidence that there may be some truth totheir statements. The courts, world-wide, have consistently statedthat there are other outlets for those impulses, other ways ofexpressing them, and ways of receiving help for them. Courts do notgenerally believe a child molester when he says he had no choice butto do the sexual act. Nor should they, scientific evidence here is onthe side of the court, even if there is some truth in what themolesters say. The same goes for murder, especially premeditatedmurder, where the killer planned well in advance. There are otheroutlets for frustration over lack of support. There is always a wayout other then murder - perhaps family, perhaps friends, perhaps achurch, perhaps the state. In civilized countries, the state isobligated to ensure the safety of children - so placing the childunder state care is an option for those living in civilized countries(and even if this is a bad option, it is less likely to be permanentand is also a better option than death). > > Mercy Killing> Another excuse often used to justify murder of autistics is that theautistic will never have a high quality of life - he'll be confined toan institution, he won't be able to communicate, and he won't even beable to experience the emotions of joy, happiness, and love. > > This is simply not true. Some people, autistic and neurotypicalboth, go through life generally unhappy. But being autistic does notsentence you to that life, no matter how "low functioning" you are.Even the lowest functioning person can enjoy life, although it maylook differently then what someone else would enjoy, and it may evenbe a life that few others would enjoy. > > As for the confinement issue, it is possible for even very lowfunctioning adult autistics - without speech or toilet skills even -to live in the community. But, even if someone is confined to aninstitution, this is not sufficient reason to kill them. Where theperson loses quality of life due to confinement, the confinement isthe problem to be addressed if you wish to improve quality of theautistic's life. Murder doesn't address the true problems. While youcould kill a person who has a cold, and that would end their sufferingdue to their cold, a more appropriate method is to provide themmedical assistance, rest, plenty of fluids, and compassion. We shouldaim to solve the problems facing autistics, not eliminate theautistics themselves. > > The excuse that "I am preventing suffering by killing the child" isa poor one. No person can know what is ahead for a child. Even thosewho believe there is a qualitative difference in quality of lifebetween low functioning and high functioning person (I don't believethis) must realize that this line is less clear then they would like.For instance, I didn't speak until I was nearly 5. I know otherautistics who didn't speak until their teenage years, and yet othersthat could speak years ago but do not today. Many of them enjoy life,and none of them would wish someone else to decide to take their livesto "spare them the miseries of the world". Murder is not done out oflove, but out of a desire to impose one's own opinions on another,hatred, or selfishness. It is often an expression of prejudice. > > Less Valuable Life> While it is rarely spoken of directly, society's view on the murderof mentally disabled persons is that mentally disabled persons areless valuable. Even the disabled community contributes to this, withstatements such as a blind man saying, "I'm a person - I still have mymind!" (implying that not having a neurotypical mind makes a someoneless of a person). But it is worst outside the disabled community.When a drunk driver, who does not plan the result that occurs, is sentto jail for life after killing a innocent child, surely a parent whoplans a murder of her child should also get the same sentence. Thedrunk driver may claim that his mind was impaired and his judgmentcloudy because of the alcohol, but the court will respond that therewas a way out - he simply should not have drove. Murder of autisticchildren does not need to occur. Society isn't forcing mothers andfathers to kill their own children, although it does tell thoseparents that their actions, while a bit wrong, were justifiable (forthe most egregious example of this, le Blais received a job withthe Quebec Autism Society after murdering her child). > > Murder is wrong, because life is valuable. Neurotypical life isvaluable. Autistic life is valuable. In many places, though, there arestricter penalties for cruelty to animals then cruelty to an autistic.I know of no place where someone who caused great pain to a dog, inways that would be considered torture by most people, and eventuallykilling the dog would not face criminal charges. Yet it is not unusualfor a murderer of an autistic to face no charges. For instance, if Itold you that I tied a dog on a table in such a way as to immobilizehim, in such a way as to prevent him from fully breathing, while Ilistened to his sounds of terror and pain, and eventually watched himdie, I would expect you to consider me a horribly cruel person. Infact, I hope you would - anyone who would do this to an animal is acruel person. Yet there have been autistics who have died in identicalways. It is a very cruel death to die from suffocation whilerestrained. Many of those killed even cried out that they couldn'tbreathe, but their complaints were dismissed (with words like, "If youcan talk, you can breathe," which isn't true when using restraints).And they died this horrible death at the hands of those who weresupposed to be caring for them. I am aware of several incidents wherethe autistic came close to death or even died while being restrained,including some that I mention on this page, but I am aware of nonewhere charges - or even disciplinary actions - were made against thosethat caused the death - despite the normally higher accountabilitymedical practitioners are held to. It turns out that those societyconsiders disabled or mentally ill not worthy of the same respect asthose who are considered "normal". In fact, they are often not evenworthy of the same amount of respect as a dog. > > Horrible Deaths> Regarding the victims mentioned here, only two could have diedinstantly. The others were strangled, drowned, starved, or bleed todeath after being stabbed. In each of these, there would have beenhorrible fear in each of the victims as someone who was entrusted withtheir proper care, and, in many cases, loved by the victim, causedhorrendous pain. These methods of murder do not show mercy - they areamong some of the most gruesome methods of inflicting death. In fact,with some of these murders, the murderer failed with the first and,sometimes, even the second known attempt to kill the child. Yet thisis a not unusual - few murders of children don't cause horrible painand fear, so this should not be surprising. > > Support for Parents> Parents do need support. Saying that murder is wrong does notcontradict that statement. In criminal cases, it is just and right tohope for a sentence that is not weaker simply because of the socialstanding of the victim. > > Some parents believe that this weakens their position with regard tothe current level of services. This is not true. Rather thenjustifying evil actions, we need good parents and care-givers toengage in political action, showing that autistic life is valuable andworthy of support is the pressing need. We do not serve the cause whenwe support sentencing that weakens the value of autistic life. > > A Word on "One-Sidedness"> I have received several complaints about this site being one-sidedin it's presentation of facts on these murder cases. Please feel freeto send me information about murders of autistics where the victim'smemory was respected through proper sentencing. I have tried toinclude all cases where the person would not have been killed if thehe was neurotypical, regardless of whether that case supports mystatements or not. All these deaths need to be remembered. I encourageand support anyone who feels the need to do their own research toverify the facts. I ask only that, before my statements are dismissed,that you do verify the facts. If you believe I am being one-sided bybeing selective about the cases I present, I ask you to do thatresearch - for your own peace of mind. I also hope that you will sendme information on murders that were not included here, so that I canremember the victim by adding him to this site. > > Additions> If you are aware of a murder where the victim was killed becausehe/she was autistic, I would like to include the victim's name on thispage, as a memorial. Please send mail to growingjoel@..., with thevictim's name, age at time of death (if available), and the date thevictim died (if available). Because of the serious nature of thispage, I ask that you provide any documentation you have thatsubstantiates the claim of murder. > > Other Sites About Murder and Abuse of Disabled People> Other web sites have also documented the devaluation of the lives ofautistics and others with disabilities. Note that some of these sitesmay be very difficult to read for those who have been exposed to abusein the past. > > > a.. Children Injured by Restraints and Adversives - A parents'organization dedicated to preventing abuse of restraints. > b.. Deadly Restraint - A special feature created by the HartfordCourant newspaper. Documents several deaths due to restraint by"professionals". It also includes a database of deaths caused byrestraint. > c.. Cornelison's Death - This death occurred in 1990. While was not autistic, she was labeled as mentally retarded. Peoplelabeled as such often face similar kinds of abuse and torture thatautistics face. It is shocking that this facility continues operationstoday, focusing on autistic individuals in addition to persons labeledmentally retarded. In fact, many consider it one of the premier autismtreatment facilities in the United States. > d.. The Meaning of 'Murderer' - Discussion of Jack Kevorkian'smurder of a person with disability, and his argument that it wassimply a "medical service" > e.. Murder of Autistic Persons - Another site that details themurders of autistics, and includes additional information on deaths ininstitutions, group homes, schools, etc. > f.. Not Dead Yet - A disability-rights organization which opposeseuthanasia > g.. United States of Leland - The Sub-human Life - A critique ofthe movie United States of Leland in which an autistic murder victimis used as a plot device to obtain sympathy for the killer. > > Links About Murders of Disabled During the Holocaust> The first persons killed in the holocaust were "mentally ill"persons (note that there was not a separate diagnosis of autism at thetime, so exact numbers are unavailable) who, according to Hitler andhis doctors, were unfit for life. The reasons used during theholocaust are the same reasons being used today to justify themurderers of autistics. These killings preceded the other horribleatrocities in Germany, possibly because they were more palatable tothe population. > > > a.. Life unworthy of life > b.. A proclamation to remember these deaths > > Links About Specific Murders> There are many reports on-line of the murders of autistics. A few ofthem are listed below. > > > a.. Maggie Caraballo > b.. Leubner > c.. Malphus > d.. Abubakar Nadama > > Corrections> Every effort has been made to validate sources before includingnames or events on this page. However, if you feel any of thisinformation is in error, I ask for you to send mail to growingjoel@...Please include any documentation available to you. > > Thank You> I want to thank A M Baggs for the help with proofreading this siteand helping me research these cases. > > I also want to thank the parents, who, after learning of theirchild's autism and dealing with the stresses of raising someone who isdifferent, continued to show love and compassion for their children asthey came to terms with a child who wasn't what they expected, but whowas wonderful and precious. I thank my parents for allowing me toexperience life, and didn't take what would have been an easy way out. > > Copyright © 2001-2006 by - > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 I can remember feeling outraged and writing letters to keep the movie out. I remember all the parents being mad that the teen was being glorified for killing someone with autism. many of us parents were deeply offended that there would be anything said to excuse someone killing a child with autism. I can't really see a diff between that and letting off someone with a slap on the wrist for doing the same thing. That said, I haven't seen the movie, nor do I care to. What cable station is it on so I can avoid it? Debi - In EOHarm , " Kerbob " <robertbloch@...> wrote: > > Gee, do you think so? You know it's been playing on a cable movie channel. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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