Would you see him as a victim? - Family unreasonable or am I being sensitive?

[Beachywave]

Long story short - my 16yo DS has been charged with supply of class A & class B (county lines situation).

He's in court in two weeks - he's pleading guilty but very clearly has not come about doing this on his own and there has been a situation of exploitation and coercion.

My family (his grandparents, aunts, uncles etc) want nothing to do with him and are treating him like a criminal. (Side note - they all smoke weed & drink alcohol, I do not).

AIBU to think they're all being hypocritical tw*ts and that it's actually extremely damaging to him that he's got no support from the people who are supposed to love him unconditionally?

Or should I accept they have their own opinions and that he has done wrong?

I'm concerned that there are so many parents on here who don't understand how their own children can get caught up in county lines. They are after your innocent children who have no criminal history, they are the best targets as more likely to get through unstopped. The cleaner tidier and well dressed the better. It's not kids with trousers hanging down their backsides it's the goody looking ones they need. They only have to get your child after a bully has or when they've been split from friends that's all it takes.
Your child each and everyone of you is as risk.

How much support are you actually getting from your family at the moment? They are already pulling away from you and your son, which is building resentment. After he has a conviction that will only increase - both them distancing themselves (partly this is self preservation as they don’t want to admit them taking drugs is part of the same set up) and your resentment of them.

Plus when he gets pulled back in (these organisations do not want to give up an asset easily) and he is either beaten up or starts dealing again -they will want even less to do with him (and you).

Please think very hard about moving, use the time until the trial to start looking for work somewhere else. Do you have any friends that live away from you that can provide some help.

As for him getting a job after GCSEs - do you really think someone is going to employ him with a recent conviction is drug dealing? You think your family are unreasonable treating him as a criminal but that is nothing to how the outside world will treat him! Get him enrolled in a college course somewhere far away and rebuild his life from there.

Thinking of you @Beachywave

I hope everything goes as well as it can for your boy and you are both getting good support