Posted on 01/21/2007 6:30:44 AM PST by raccoonradio
Asperger’s syndrome has been used as a defense with some success in cases of violence, experts say, suggesting it may arise when the fatal stabbing of a student at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School eventually goes to court.
During an arraignment Friday in the death of 15-year-old James F. Alenson, the attorney for 16-year-old John Odgren said his client has Asperger’s, a mild form of autism that has helped win acquittals for defendants in 22 U.S. criminal cases since 2002, according to the Autism Society of America.
The neurological disorder is characterized by average or above-average intelligence but difficulty developing social skills or responding to interpersonal cues. Teens with Asperger’s can be misunderstood and bullied, said Jamie Freed, a social worker with the Asperger’s Association of New England. “This is not a group prone to violence,” he said. “If anything, they’re often the targets of violence.”
In 2003, a Texas jury acquitted a man with Asperger’s in the killing of a neighbor. A year later, a Missouri appeals court overturned a first-degree murder conviction on the grounds that jurors weren’t allowed to hear of James Boyd III’s similar diagnosis. Boyd, who was serving a life sentence, this month entered a no-contest plea to second-degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced in March.
Jeffrey Denner, a defense attorney, said a disorder like Asperger’s is more likely to result in a reduced sentence than an acquittal.
Odgren’s lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro, said Odgren has taken medications for years and has a “serious disability,” adding: “The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years.”
After the stabbing, Odgren allegedly blurted out, “I did it! I did it!” a prosecutor said. A police report said that he also said, “Is he OK? I don’t want him to die.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two to six children in 1,000 have one of the autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s. Scientists think genetic and environmental factors cause it.
Asperger’s is named after Dr. Hans Asperger, who wrote about the disease in 1944. But it was not officially classified as a psychiatric disorder until 50 years later.
>>mild form of autism
What he did was anything but mild: brutal, fatal stabbing of a classmate
>>“This is not a group prone to violence,” he said.
So don't blame it on the Asperger's. Blame it on his interest in knives (this sounds like a "thrill kill"), a violent culture, or being just plain evil. Columbine, Massachusetts.
Then perhaps people with Asberger's need to be locked up. Because if they cannot help it when they kill people, and should be excused, then WE are all at risk.
So now if you're Autistic you can murder people?
And that's okay?
Another abuse of a tragedy - autism. Autism is not an excuse to murder or stab people. Geesh!
I've Asperger's and these people need to be locked up for a long time. It's sickening that people get away with crimes such as these.
If people can use Asperger as an excuse for killing someone, then people with that disorder should be kept out of school in order to protect our children. Apparently, it would also reduce bullying in the schools which is also a good thing.
What's sickening is that Asperger's is being used as an excuse. The successful use of this defense puts everyone who has this syndrome under a cloud of suspicion. That's not fair to you and any others with this syndrome .
Well, in all fairness, the US Supreme Court has taken it upon itself to protect murderous " retards " from the death penalty.
Wow, what a misapplication. If anything, people with Asperger's are socially withdrawn and lack emotion -- not the types at all to engage in a sudden fit of murderous rage.
So what if your "normal" and just having a bad day - feeling like a "retard" is there immunity for that too?
After all, not every day is stellar for a "normal" person?
So the answer to bullying is to remove all the potential victims from school? Bullies will always find someone weaker. Bullies are the ones who need to be removed or controlled; as the psychologist says, Asperger's people are usually less violent than average. Many bullies are junior sociopaths and future violent criminals. The growing incidence of bullying in schools is a severe problem, which hurts many children. Don't engage in "blaming the victim."
bump for later
More fallout from the mandate to mainstream sped kids.
I know kids with Asbergers. They surely do know right from wrong. It's ALWAYS a crock to say "He couldn't help it." I believe even Muslim Jihadists know that it is against God's law to murder.
I missed the part in the article that said this boy had a history of violent or uncontrollable behavior. Without that history, I don't see the culpability of the school administration.
"Normal" people can commit violent crimes without warning too, yet the school administration is not always responsible.
I don't know whether bullying was a factor in this case, but I do know that no one who hasn't been seriously bullied, stalked, or harassed over a long period has the slightest clue of what this does to the victim. It is utterly ruinous. I could easily imagine bullying leading to justifiable homicide.
Also, bullying has nothing to do with teachers punishing people who "stand out," nor is it likely to happen in classrooms. It is more likely to happen in hallways, stairwells, bathrooms, locker rooms, etc. As I said before, many of the perpetrators are junior sociopaths who are headed for a life of violent crime. They are the ones who should be rooted out of schools--not the Asperger's types, assuming the latter are able to behave in class.
"Blame it on his interest in knives "
I always carried a knife in elementary school, I shared a big interest in fighting knives with my fellow soldiers (American and foreign), I always have at least two knives on me as an adult, and I belong to two knife forums.
I hope there isn't some new trend to start attacking the natural male interest in knives.
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