Police in the UK arrest Down's Syndrome boy for 'Racism'

[Delbáeth]

When two police officers came to interview Jamie Bauld, a polite, friendly Down’s syndrome boy with a mental age of about 5, he welcomed them with a big smile and a handshake. As the officers read him his rights and charged him with assault and racial abuse, he agreed with everything they said, then thanked them for coming to see him.

Yesterday Jamie’s parents told The Times that they had been through a seven-month ordeal with the Scottish legal system over what they described as a minor fracas between two youngsters with learning difficulties.

Jamie, 18, cannot tie his shoelaces or leave home on his own, nor can he understand simple verbal concepts such as whether a door is open or shut. But his parents said that he was charged with attacking a fellow student, an Asian girl who also had special needs.
...
The incident in question took place last September at the special needs department of Motherwell College, in Lanarkshire, where Jamie is a student. Fiona Bauld, Jamie’s mother and full-time carer, claimed that the Asian student, who is only slightly older than Jamie, had been following her son and staring at him. Jamie had earlier complained to his parents that her behaviour scared him, and they had advised him just to walk away. But one day, his mother said, the girl came close up to Jamie as he was eating lunch. He pushed her with one hand and told her to go away.

Police charged Down\'s syndrome boy with mental age of five - Times Online

This is just shocking..

[meadhbh]

That is and they could have chosen a far better way to handle it. There was no need to ger the police involved when there is no way he could have understand what he did. Perhaps the school should have gotten in touch with his parnets and taken steps to make him understand what he was wrong but certinally not gone so far as have him arrested.

[Kernunnos]

Everything is good for the thought police. Strongly reminds me of Stalin's exemplar sentences' philosophy. Hit one to educate one hundred.

[Rognvaldr]

This is political correctness beyond extreme; an inidividual afflicted with Down Syndrome is not capable of mounting a racist assault, and the fact that tax revenue was expended pursuing this case is ridiculous. Even if the accused were competent, there is nothing to suggest a racial motive. Assaults by minorities against Europeans occur daily, but none are prosecuted along racial lines. Why the double standard?

[Susi]

It's completely ridiculous. People with Down's Syndrome do things like this because they are like children in the head (but slightly different). I think I understand this situation better (my half aunt has it)... What we should understand this as is a disagreement between two people with mental disabilities. There would not be a full scale battle. He hit her because he didn't know the consequences of his actions, but there was disciplinary measures already taken place... what I want to know is who reported him and why? It's obvious he has Down's from the way he looks.

On the other hand we should not put them as incapable of learning. He could learn that hitting other people is wrong. It's not impossible for him. I think the girl's race didn't even play into his decision to hit her.