Connor Dawes committed a despicable crime in the middle of the night. He kicked and robbed a stranger, a young man who had Asperger’s Syndrome. However, his actions soon caught up with him when he discovered the contents of the stolen wallet. Upon realizing the victim’s condition, Connor decided to turn himself in.
The victim was a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome, a condition on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. The man had difficulty with social interactions and had a limited range of interests and repetitive behaviors. His motor development was delayed, leading to clumsiness or uncoordinated movements. Unlike other forms of autism, people with Asperger’s Syndrome do not have significant delays in language or cognitive development.
The behaviors associated with Asperger’s Syndrome are the following:
- limited or inappropriate social interactions
- “robotic” or repetitive speech
- challenges with nonverbal communication (gestures, facial expression, etc.) coupled with average to above average verbal skills
- tendency to discuss self rather than others
- inability to understand social/emotional issues or nonliteral phrases
- lack of eye contact or reciprocal conversation
- obsession with specific, often unusual, topics
- one-sided conversations
- awkward movements and/or mannerisms
Connor appeared in court before Judge Silvia de Bertodano, who sentenced him to two years in prison. The judge acknowledged that Connor might not have known that the victim had Asperger’s Syndrome, but he knew that the young man was vulnerable because he was alone at night. She also noted that the victim’s struggles had become much worse due to the crime.
In the end, the judge described Connor as “scum,” which was an accurate description of a thief who would rob a defenseless disabled person. Unfortunately, people are becoming more inclined to cheat and steal instead of working hard to earn a living. This trend is worrisome and should be discouraged at all costs.
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