Aspies For Freedom

AN accused teenage tram thief obsessed with public transport is a danger to the community and must remain in custody, a judge said yesterday.

A Victorian Children's Court judge said until clear reasons were established for the 15-year-old's unusual behaviour, he remained a risk to the community.

The boy allegedly stole two trams, two buses, attempted to start a train, and picked up passengers during a 40-minute stint as a tram driver in April. He ran red lights and overshot tram stops.

"I don't know whether your obsession with public transport can be stopped," the judge said in refusing the boy's bail application. "Since I am required to look at the safety of the public, it seems I have no option but to put you second."

He suggested the boy be tested for Asperger's syndrome before being considered for release.

The boy will appear at a Victorian Children's Court on August 23 for a contested hearing.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/...62,00.html

Aren't there any media stories about people with AS that do good things, like volunteer, raise money for charity, save kittens from burning buildings??????

If the guy is so obsessed about transportation, why not just ride it?   That was what I thought when I read the headline - that a 15 yr old boy was just making a nuisance of himself living in transit.  If he waited until he was old enough he might become a driver but now with his record probably not.  

AS is not a predisposition to CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR.   Let the world know.

Well he may not have aspergers, but it seems they are suspecting it.

If he has been undiagnosed up til now, he has been missing the opportunity to get support for his obsessive behaviour, its a shame that he needed to do a criminal act to possibly get a diagnosis.

Some families just are so fed up with their child's obsessive behaviour that they will allow them to get in trouble with the law hoping they will get help.  I have heard of families letting their child be put in jail for long sentences for petty crimes such as theft because they do not want the responsibility.  One family let a 13 yr old girl be charged with theft.   She was impulsive and stole a chocolate bar and a pencil from a school mate.  They wanted her to go to jail because they could not handle her behaviours and were getting no help.

Greetings,

I would have to say that I agree with the judges views - if someone is stealing vehicles, picking up passengers and going through red lights then that really is putting lives at risk.

As for the recommendations of testing - I think he should have been a bit more broad than that - just because youre obsessed dosent automatically mean you have AS - and there are hundreds of other conditions to choose from that would cause similar behaviour - some form of psychosis for example (he could have believed that he was doing a perfectly valid job or duty)

I agree with you.

As far as some parents letting some of these teens get in trouble with the law... some of the teens cause their own problems and when they do some parents believe in making them take responsibility for their own actions. Honestly it's not a bad thing for some of these kids to actually have to get punished, some may actually learn that some nonsense they do that got them in trouble with the law could hurt themselves and others.

I believe if a person does a crime be it a teenager or adult, they should take the consequences for their behavior. Letting them off and such won't help that person any better than having to realize that what they did was wrong and isn't tolerable.

As it was a short article, and we dont know all the details, maybe there are other factors in his life that led them to think that AS was a more likely dx to test for.

Hope he does get some help.

Yeah Amy, you're right, hopefully whatever is going on will help get that young man able to stay out of trouble and harming himself and others.