Teen with Aspergers convicted of transgender hate crime, he asked is that a boy or a girl.

[HairyPotter]

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/duty-transgender-police-officer-left-17652064

While I completely understand it must be awful to be misgendered, it can’t come as a complete surprise that some transpeople don’t ‘pass’. If you can’t cope with people asking a perfectly reasonable (in their eyes) question, then maybe a job as a PCSO isn’t for you. I’m certain that the vast majority of officers have been called far worse with feeling the need to prosecute them. Maybe a different job or a thicker skin is required.

and i often fantasise about an abusive man curfew

I love walking at night on a crisp cold winter night with the moon, or those long sift summer evenings. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to walk at night safely? Oh the freedom.

FRom Wales Online article:
concludes:
"Edward Marsh of the CPS said: “Comments deliberately targeting a person in this way have no place in modern society.

“The CPS takes any hate crime allegation extremely seriously and we will robustly prosecute cases that meet the code for crown prosecutors.”
www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/teen-prosecuted-after-asking-whether-17651755

current thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3804613-New-Year-New-Judicial-Review-CPS-Hate-Crime-Guidance-for-schools

Just that. I don't have the words right now.

It’s bizarre to not be able to brush that off as a police auxiliary. I too have been called many worse things by pupils, most of whom don’t have Aspergers as a reason. If I worried about every snide comment I got I’d never get anything done. For goodness’ sake.

I'm not sure about this one. The article doesn't say that perpetrator asked whether the PCSO was a girl or a boy, it says he twice shouted loudly, "Is it a boy or is it a girl?" after walking past the PCSO. As I read it, he isn't saying that he has Aspergers and didn't intend to be offensive, he is denying that he said anything all.

Don I understand those concerns, but in the style of local news it's not too hard to imagine the story another way. Sad face photo to start, a quote from the teen saying he just wasn't sure and meant no harm, stress the fact that he acts as a caret..,

They are so making an example of him.

I think anyone who shouts at a police officer is very unwise tbh, but police officers in general are trained in resilience and de-escalation techniques.

And why was his Aspergers not mitigating?

And why do I feel like I'm living in an Authoritarian police state?

I was called worse, just this morning, by a man who got off a bus as I had the temerity to be walking past him and not smiling.

I’m appalled by this and the CPS thread. Just. Fucking. Awful.

So it is now a crime for a person with a learning disability to question someone's appearance if it is outside the norm.

I mean that really is totalitarianism in action isn't it?

Goingoverground have you met anyone with ASD or Aspergers? Certainly the people I know with it either don’t care or don’t know much about social niceties like volume control.

One of the diagnostically essential features of autism is that a person must have difficulties in social interaction and communication. This would include social understanding, including, potentially, an understanding of the impact of one's words on another person and a need for clarity / dislike of ambiguity.
That this wasn't used in mitigation in this particular situation is amazing to me.

Sorry - mistyped - including potentially a difficulty understanding and predicting the impact of one's words on another person.

@AnyOldSpartabix How long before Woman: Adult Human Female T-shirts and Women don’t have penises stickers are criminalised?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/14/police-response-transphobic-stickers-branded-extraordinary/

Oxford police beat you to it.

While I completely understand it must be awful to be misgendered, it can’t come as a complete surprise that some transpeople don’t ‘pass’

I said exactly the same.beforw and my comment got removed. Apparently, you're not allowed to say you basically might make a mistake.

One comment under the article: "But criminals get off scot free"

And I'm inclined to agree. We live in an age where burglaries and muggings aren't even investigated, the cps can't be arsed to even prosecute a high proportion of rape cases - rapes are happening in our school, at the rate of one per school day - but the CPS throw the full strength of the legal system into prosecuting an Apsergers lad for "hurt and embarrassment" to a PCSO.

"Are you a boy or a girl" - a common question that will be asked by children to gender non-conforming people - at what age are the CPS going to criminalise then in their new super-secret guidelines for schools?

Ugh

No words. If only this young man could counter claim as his protected disability wasn't considered at all.

from CPS news site:
Transphobic hate crime results in increased sentence for Mold teenager
(extract)
"In 2018-2019, the CPS secured convictions in 84 per cent of the hate crime cases it prosecuted and, due to the severity of hate crime, the courts increased the sentences handed down in 74 per cent of these convictions.

Greg George, Head of Diversity at North Wales Police said: “The sentence reflects the importance of holding individuals to account when they commit hate crime.

“I hope the outcome demonstrates that we take these types of offences extremely seriously and always do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.

“I would encourage anyone who has been subject to a similar ordeal to come forward and report it to the police.”

Notes to editors
Edwards Marsh is a Senior Crown Prosecutor and is the Hate Crime Coordinator for CPS Cymru-Wales
Sentence took place on 29 January 2020
Declan Armstrong (XXX) was convicted of an offence contrary to section 4(A)(1) and (5) of the Public Order Act 1986 - using abusive or insulting words with intent to cause harassment"
www.cps.gov.uk/cymruwales/news/transphobic-hate-crime-results-increased-sentence-mold-teenager

@BadgertheBodger Yes, I know many people on the spectrum - my DC, my nephew, and my cousin. I also have several friends with diagnoses. @FainaSnowChild His diagnosis wasn't used in mitigation because he denies having said it all.

So violent porn is covered under freedom of speech, but this is a hate crime?

Oxford police beat you to it.

Bring back Morse. He’d have had nothing to do with this nonsense!

Stay safe Stickerwoman! Wherever you are.

Well clearly, making a young person with a disability the poster boy for hate crime will teach people a lesson won't it?

I don't think this thread should be in FWR actually. Everyone needs to see where this mad ideology is learning.

It's fucking insane. I have been genuinely worried that my autistic child might identify as trans (in the last year, he's told me he's asexual and then bisexual and he's only 12 but desperately trying to fit) and now I have to worry that he might say something inappropriate loudly (which he does). I guess I just have to hope that one of PCSO Freel's mates doesn't hear or it's off to the gulag with him!

Yesterday's Guardian CPS decision making & Emily Hunt's fight for justice:
concludes
"Harriet Wistrich, the director of the Centre for Women’s Justice, said: “We would like to know why the CPS chose to argue opposite points in two separate cases. As a publicly funded body, they have a duty to act consistently and in the public interest.

“In the context of significant reductions in the number of sexual offences prosecuted by the CPS, it is disappointing that they put limited resources into fighting cases for the sake of an argument where complainants have suffered significant trauma and deserve their cases to be put before a jury”.

amp.theguardian.com/law/2020/jan/28/filming-partner-without-their-consent-during-sex-ruled-a-criminal-offence?

He should really be classed as a vulnerable adult - not punished like this for the hurting the feelings of a PCSO. I feel exactly the same sense of injustice as the boy who was expelled over the "there are only two genders" thing.

In October 2018, PCSO Connor Freel spoke with BBC about having received abuse as an isolated teenager & how hate crime wont be tolerated: www.facebook.com/BBCWalesNews/posts/1920692057996872