A City Police Officer Abused a Boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Today a video went viral where a police officer of the City of Buenos Aires can be seen mistreating a child with autism spectrum conditions (CEA) on public transport. The episode happened this Tuesday in the Premetro, near the Villa Lugano station. The recording was uploaded to social networks by a passenger who also demanded her identification from the officer, to which she refused. In the recording you can hear the screams of the young man and you can see the reaction of the police when they tried to get him off the formation. At that moment a man intervened to separate them, while the others explained to the uniformed woman that the child had autism. For her part, the user who viralized the fact commented in the publication: “A policewoman tried to forcibly lower a child with autism, causing an anxiety crisis. Witnesses say that the boy began to scream (a communicative behavior common in some people with ASD) and she assaulted him with insults and wanted to grab his arm.” Also from the Ministry of Security porteño assured that, although they initiated a summary to the officer, they will not sanction her, due to the ignorance of the same in front of the condition of the minor. And that, in addition, he had acted, allegedly, “at the request of the motorman because the boy was violent.”
Agencies charged with caring for us and enforcing the law must be trained in autism and disability in general, as well as all their staff to recognize the symptoms and behavioral characteristics of a child, adolescent, or adult who has autism and learn basic response techniques.

Original source in Spanish