Family and Friends Forum

Hi

I am so sorry that you find yourself here, but you have come to the right place for support.

I am assuming the solicitor representing your son is aware of your son having Autism? If you don't mind me asking how old is your son? (this info will help me pass on other links that may be of use to you, depending on his age)

I am so sorry to hear your son is not eating or sleeping well. His anxiety will naturally be very high and likely to be exaberated due to autism and not knowing what is happening next. Are you and your son receiving support from your GP or any services your son has access to?

If you haven't spoken to the helpline now would be a good time too. They can support you and your son through this.



I am sure lots of other members on the forum will also reply to your post.



Please take care of yourself. Thinking of you and your son.

I'm so sorry to hear about your son. It must be awful for you all. I'm pretty sure your solicitor will have gone through the evidence and will know what they're doing but is there definitely proof your son accessed the images? There have been cases in the past where someone was not aware of the images being a part of a download so was therefore found not guilty, it is difficult with these cases because of the stigma but it's worth digging into a defence. It's difficult in situations like that because he may have actually seen the images and deleted them in a panic but in the eyes of the law that's not the right thing to do. Hopefully the judge will see this for what it is and your son will dealt with fairly. Look after yourself x

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Hi

I hope you are also aware that you can write a Character Reference to give to the judge before sentencing. You can include details of how Autism affects your son, and how this whole process has affecting him and you as a family. Your solicitor should be able to help you with all of this.

Do you have other people who know your son well, who can also write a character reference for him?

It maybe useful also to include something offical confirming your son has Autism - like a letter from your GP or a copy of his diagnosis letter. Again, your solicitor should be able to advise you on this.

I hope this information is of some help to you.

Hi

Information you may wish to include in your Character Reference:-



1. Your son's personal qualities for example, if he is kind natured, sensitive, hard working, not street wise etc

2. What he is currently doing - is he working, studying, volunteering etc.

3.He has a diagnosis of Autism, the age he was diagnosed. How this affects him on a daily basis, like is he socially isolated, socially naive, has anxiety, trusts people etc.

4.You are aware of the seriousness of the crime and how your son has been since the knock - the remorse he has shown, the effect on his mental health and how it has affected him and the family.

Do not say anything about how you think what sentencing your son should get. This is very frowned upon.

With regard to the telephone causing him anxiety, you can call the helpline on his behalf and speak with them- that would be a good start.

I hope this information is of some help to you.

As your son is under 25 you can also speak to the parent helpline of Young Minds.

The link is https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline-and-webchat/

Their website is definitely worth looking at - lots of help for parents when they have concerns over their children's mental wellbeing. May be good at signposting you to other services to.

Take care x

As your son is under 25 you could also contact Just for Kids Law for any free legal queries/questions if the need arises. They are a charity based in London and also have useful information on their website.

https://www.justforkidslaw.org/what-we-do/empowering-young-people/legal-support/criminal-law

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