Safety and the Abuse of Trust
Published July 11, 2009 @ 04:42PM PT
Safety---along with sensory processing and communication---was the third of "the top three areas people [on the autism spectrum who are now adults] wished they'd received help with as children" noted by parent and professional Chantal Sicile-Kira in her book Autism Life Skills: From Communication to Safety to Self-Esteem and More---10 Essential Abilities Every Child Needs and Deserves to Learn. A news story from the July 10th Peninsula Clarion reminds me of why safety may be the third area mentioned, but it's as important as the other two.
The Peninsula Clarion reports that a former church youth leader, 47-year-old Richard J. Wagner, has been sentenced to 13 years with 8 years suspended, plus three months hard jail time for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy between November 2007 and April 2008, and for possession of child pornography. The boy is on the autism spectrum.
As a person with autism, the boy "longed for a friend ... someone he could trust," said his mother in a statement to the court.
She said she and her husband would have preferred Wagner remain in jail for 10 years, at which time her son would have entered into adulthood.
Kenai Superior Court Judge Carl Bauman also stated that
"Where you had a position of authority in the church, this comes in the classic definition of hypocrite."
And all the more with a child "longing for a friend."
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Comments (3)
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Author
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Kristina is a Classics professor in Jersey City, New Jersey, a blogger (formerly at AutismVox), a translator (of Virgil), and an advocate every day for her son, Charlie.
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While I understand the position of plea bargaining, this still seems like a very light sentence considering the crime and Wagner's position of "authority". Despicable.
Posted by Jen Niebler on 07/12/2009 @ 01:34AM PT
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A church youth leader -- what an abysmal betrayal. "Despicable" is indeed the word.
Two things about molestation come to mind which make me very sad. One is that it happens. The other is that because some people are pediphiles we can't really trust anyone. Our children miss out on possible good experiences with good people because for the most part we don't know for sure who can we trust, and who not.
Posted by Twyla Ramos on 07/12/2009 @ 03:48PM PT
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And the scary thing is that most sexual abuse takes place within the family/friend circle, which makes it even harder to prevent or acknowledge unless you want to completely isolate yourself. People should be far less concerned with stranger danger and much more with the people who are closest to them, which makes it that much worse.
Posted by Jen Niebler on 07/13/2009 @ 06:50AM PT
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