Southport Inquiry report highlights failures and misunderstanding of autism

[ProudAmberTurtle]

The Phase 1 report from the Southport Inquiry is out has found the attack "could and should have been prevented".

It was "highly likely" it wouldn't have happened if agencies and the killer's own parents had actually done their jobs over the years. Catastrophic failures everywhere - police, mental health services, social services, schools - all passing the buck, losing information and refusing to take ownership of the risk this boy posed.

But the bit that really jumped out at me is this: a "misunderstanding of autism" meant his violent, dangerous behaviour was wrongly blamed on his autism spectrum disorder.

Instead of treating the clear warning signs of murderous intent as the serious red flags they were, everyone just shrugged and said "it's his autism" and did nothing. No proper risk assessment, no real intervention, no one stepping up.

Neurodiversity / mental health services were so terrified of "stigmatising" or "criminalising" autism that they ended up enabling actual danger to everyone else.

The parents also apparently let weapons be delivered to the house and didn't report crucial things in the days before.

Doesn’t surprise me - typical of all of these agencies that all they want to do is pass the buck to someone else. Full of “not my job” Nigels.

Anything to get out of doing some work themselves.

'Neurodiversity / mental health services were so terrified of "stigmatising" or "criminalising" autism that they ended up enabling actual danger to everyone else.'

That is what I see too.

Services with no experience other than assessing one or two conditions, or services pressuring to be affirming at all costs. Any concerns or criticism is seen as anti-disability and discouranged.

You can see this in threads here too - 'my partner is abusive but he has autism/ADHD so cannot help it, is it ok to feel upset?'

I hope Prevent will amend their referral criteria and processess soon.

Prevent seem utterly useless and far too narrow in their remit. Complete overhaul needed there.

We saw this with the BAFTAS incident - once something is attributed to neurodiversity, then for some people it's a principle to deny that any resulting actions could ever be harmful to others, not even unintentionally or accidentally.

In my own personal experience nhs discharge immediately after autism diagnosis and there is no aftercare. Cahms turn down referrals if child is autistic as say issues relate to autism rather than mental health. Specialist autism team in our area will only take a referal if you already have a lead professional from Cahms. There is the illusion of lots of services being available but alll they do is sign post you to each other.

It was highlighted that there was a lack of clarity around roles in particular the lead role.

That's often true.

Interesting there was a thread the other night where an OP was complaining about how mental health/ suicide/ND outbursts where being criminlaised (given PO warnings etc).

I’ve been warning about this for years now but I’ve been called ‘ableist’ yada yada

Neurodiversity is a very dangerous concept which has allowed all kinds of criminal or red flag behaviour to be excused away

And it’s going to get a lot worse. A lot worse.

This is deeply unfair.

If you create a culture where querying ‘neurodiversity’ - even slightly - means you get rained down by people calling you ableist, and wanting to put you in the stocks, then don’t be surprised if people shy away from it when it really needs to be addressed

Just look at this website. Violent teen boys beating their mums to a pulp being called ‘victims’ due to their ‘neurodiversity’, with the poor mum encouraged to ‘show him understanding’. Parents held emotionally and financially hostage by their ‘neurodiverse’ grown adult children who live rent free in their house, gaming and threatening violence or self harm if expected to mature in any way

The public have done this to themselves I’m afraid.

Absolutely. Services just passsing cases around with very little help actually available.
Another issue is misplaced 'neuroaffiirmity' and an over zealous inclusion agenda. Am a primary school SENDCO and violence isn't allowed to be called violence if it's an Autistic child who is the perpetrator (it's Dysregulation dear). Lack of accountability and consequences have serious long term implications as we have tragically seen time and time again.

I imagine the failings of Education are around failure to refer under Prevent but more generally schools are crying out for support for violent children and there is nothing forthcoming at all. It's the blind leading the blind (whilst also trying to teach maths and English at the same time). Services that used to be there to support inclusion have just ceased to exist. Special schools are full. If we want Education to do more, there needs to be investment and change that is more than just lip service.

Our Local Authority Behaviour Intervention team had 30 staff in 2012 when I started teaching. In 2026 the same team has 2 members of staff. This is the same all over the UK.

And now he has to be kept for 52 years at public expense.

Yep. While hospices go without. It’s all so sickeningly unfair.

And given the issue under discussion that is shocking. How are dysregulated ND children supposed to cope - as infants, middle years and teens? How are their networks supported and informed? And ultimately how can patterns be flagged so that help is there? It's so wrong.

But a head teacher of the PRU did call his behaviour out, but was slapped down when accused of being racist.

I do not think we should be scared of saying a child is violent or assaulting. However that behaviour from a child with neuro diversity or potentially undiagnosed should trigger a comprehensive response which stays in place. . In particular assaulting parents carers should evoke a lot of support and oversight to get the right response for that child. Regular and sustained early
All that takes resources and the resource has been stripped away from this area. Support can make a difference. Parent blame and shame is generally counter productive.

The reason services have exclusion criteria for autism often is mostly to do with saving costs not excusing the behaviour. That is then preventing early intervention which would actually stop risky behaviours.

Eg in our area our you have autism at say 4 and are struggling to speak they then discharge you from SALT. It is well known that not being able to communicate increases frustration which leads to more challenging behaviour.

There are several different issues here which need to be seen separately. Most autistic people I have met have a really strong sense of justice and want to stick to rules. We should not demonise autistic people just because a few murderers are autistic.

If autistic people are dangerous they should be managed in a way that keeps others safe through the criminal justice system.

However, it is really important to increase not reduce early intervention and understanding of autism to prevent unreached children turning into a danger.

I hear this a lot. Support and strategies is quite vague though and I often wonder what it actually means? What’s the best support and strategies for a school/parent to put into action and if the child doesn’t engage, then what? Lock them up? You can’t do that until after they’ve committed a violent act.

In this case my instinct is that this was autism being used as a catch all diagnosis for behaviour, possibly based in trauma, that people don’t like or don’t have the language to discuss.

I think as a society we've normalised situations with violent children and young people living in the family home terrorising the parents. I don't condone what ARs parents did or didn't do in this case but can see how it happened.

I agree but wonder what the answer is? You can’t lock someone up unless they’ve done something illegal. In the Southport case, police would have intervened due to what was in the house. Parents didn’t pass the information on though. Most violent kids are just violent kids and aren’t keeping weapons and poison in their bedrooms. They won’t pass the threshold for being sectioned or arrested.

@WhatNoRaisins I fully agree, here on MN every type of abuse or aggression is answered with is he/she ND I can read a thread and literally within a few replies we have that being asked.
Just the other day a 9 yr old attacking an adult with a scooter and comments were blaming the adult for speaking in a mean tone this how violent adults continue, never being held to account and everything being swept under the rug.

To me violence is violence. The delicate structures of one's brain and skull don't differentiate between a blow from someone out of pure malice or someone who has unmet needs. It's always dangerous to the victim.

It's pie in the sky though as any real solutions will cost a lot of money.

This this this

If this poor mother had posted on here, she would have been told behaviour is communication, that you cant parent in an NT way, that these are meltdowns not tantrums or danger as such, ableist ableist ableist, posts would be reported all over the place