Father sentenced to seven years in prison for abusing autistic teenage son
The Autism News | English
EDMONTON — A 51-year-old Edmonton man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for abuse and neglect of his teenage autistic son that left him looking like a “concentration camp victim.”
A jury in June found him guilty of unlawful confinement, failure to provide the necessities of life, assault and assault with a weapon.
The man cannot be named because it would identify his son, who is now in foster care. Children in care cannot be identified.
In October 2008, the 17-year-old was found by police in a locked room of the family’s apartment, lying on a filthy mattress with a stained sheet and a plastic bath mat beneath him. The room reeked of urine and feces, court heard. He was emaciated. He couldn’t stand on his own or fully extend his limbs. He could no longer speak.
Police officers, paramedics, and an emergency room doctor who treated the teenager all told court during the trial that the boy looked “like a concentration camp victim.”
The five-foot-seven teenager weighed 86 pounds when he arrived at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. In the five days after he was taken from the home, he gained 10 pounds.
The abuse was only discovered when the boy’s two older sisters visited for Thanksgiving and called 911 upon finding their brother.
“Without intervention, (he) would’ve died in that room,” said Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Ken Nielsen as he delivered the sentence.
“This is an extremely tragic case. No child should have to endure the conditions in which he was found.”
Please share your reaction! Give your opinion by filling out the form below.
Share this news with friends, family, or colleagues by clicking on the shortcuts below:
