Trigger Warning: Abuse, Murder (for reasons of suspected autism.)
A mother in Boulder County, Colorado is pleading not guilty to abusing and murdering her six month old baby on an insanity defense. Considering that the insanity defense has a tendency not to work, I'd guess that it won't work if she goes to trial. But the only reason I feel comfortable saying that it probably wouldn't work is that the doctors say her child was developing in a neurotypical manner, not an autistic one. See, parents who kill their autistic kids tend to get away with it with reduced/no sentences. But this child, whatever reasoning she might give, was not diagnosed autistic or even suspected such by anyone besides herself. So they might take a plea deal that involves dealing with the fact that she just killed her kid, but I doubt she will be getting off with nothing.
And here comes the issue that is the reason I posted this. When you hear about a child being murdered by a parent, does your reaction change with the neurology of the victim? It shouldn't. Does the reaction to "she killed him because she thought he was autistic" change when you know he probably wasn't? Is it somehow less horrible if she was at least correct? It shouldn't be. Does it take the death of a neurotypical child from the fear-mongering about autism to make people care? It shouldn't.
A mother in Boulder County, Colorado is pleading not guilty to abusing and murdering her six month old baby on an insanity defense. Considering that the insanity defense has a tendency not to work, I'd guess that it won't work if she goes to trial. But the only reason I feel comfortable saying that it probably wouldn't work is that the doctors say her child was developing in a neurotypical manner, not an autistic one. See, parents who kill their autistic kids tend to get away with it with reduced/no sentences. But this child, whatever reasoning she might give, was not diagnosed autistic or even suspected such by anyone besides herself. So they might take a plea deal that involves dealing with the fact that she just killed her kid, but I doubt she will be getting off with nothing.
And here comes the issue that is the reason I posted this. When you hear about a child being murdered by a parent, does your reaction change with the neurology of the victim? It shouldn't. Does the reaction to "she killed him because she thought he was autistic" change when you know he probably wasn't? Is it somehow less horrible if she was at least correct? It shouldn't be. Does it take the death of a neurotypical child from the fear-mongering about autism to make people care? It shouldn't.
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