A teenager who daubed a Windrush mural with Nazi symbols after being radicalised online is facing jail. The 17-year-old from south Wales, who cannot legally be named due to his age, is charged with five terror offences.
A teenager who daubed a Windrush mural with Nazi symbols after being radicalised online is facing jail. The 17-year-old from south Wales, who cannot legally be named due to his age, is charged with five terror offences.
I’m a little torn, frankly.
If all the information is accurate, this kid has a personality disorder and autism – It’s likely they need psychological intervention rather than a jail cell. That aside, this kind of targeted attack isn’t some ‘dumb’ accident. There needs to be repercussions for something like this. Obviously what exactly those repercussions are, are another debate entirely.
I mean, I’m autistic and I’ve been diagnosed with several personality disorders, plus I have ADHD which gives me the most astoundingly poor impulse control, and I’ve still never gone around spraypainting swastikas on things.
Based on my own experience, though, I’d say we need people with specialist experience deradicalising autistic people. I have my doubts about the effectiveness of custodial sentences full stop, but if anyone’s getting them, I’d say a kid like this is a good candidate (though he may need protection once he’s in there) and we shouldn’t be exempt from the consequences of our shit.
We know what we’re doing, we know the consequences, and the fact that we’re convinced we’re right doesn’t make us different from… well, anyone very much.
I can’t claim to understand as well as you, though I can say that a family member of mine has Asperger’s Syndrome, so I’ve been close and personal to the issue for essentially my entire life. Though that’s all to say very little, given how widely different each and every person with Asperger’s is.
It’s a tough call for me as I absolutely believe there should be some level of repercussion but honestly, as you mention, the efficacy of custodial sentences for crimes of this nature are very much up for debate.
All this aside, I appreciate your perspective on this thanks.