Safety and the Abuse of Trust

by Kristina Chew · 2009-07-11 16:42:00 UTC
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Door with glass panels from http://www.lestercat.net/house_03/archives/new_porch_door-thumb.jpg
Safety---along with sensory processing and communication---was the third of "the top three areas people [on the autism spectrum who are now adults] wished they'd received help with as children" noted by parent and professional Chantal Sicile-Kira in her book Autism Life Skills: From Communication to Safety to Self-Esteem and More---10 Essential Abilities Every Child Needs and Deserves to Learn. A news story from the July 10th Peninsula Clarion reminds me of why safety may be the third area mentioned, but it's as important as the other two.

The Peninsula Clarion reports that a former church youth leader, 47-year-old Richard J. Wagner, has been sentenced to 13 years with 8 years suspended, plus three months hard jail time for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy between November 2007 and April 2008, and for possession of child pornography. The boy is on the autism spectrum.

As a person with autism, the boy "longed for a friend ... someone he could trust," said his mother in a statement to the court.

She said she and her husband would have preferred Wagner remain in jail for 10 years, at which time her son would have entered into adulthood.

Kenai Superior Court Judge Carl Bauman also stated that

"Where you had a position of authority in the church, this comes in the classic definition of hypocrite."

And all the more with a child "longing for a friend."

Kristina Chew
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