Asperger's lad battered on the bus

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http://www.highland-news.co.uk/News/Aspergers-lad-battered-on-the-bus-6931041.ht\

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Published: 08/06/2011 20:00 - Updated: 08/06/2011 19:58

Asperger's lad battered on the bus

by Jackie MacKenzie

POLICE are investigating an incident in which a young man who suffers from

Asperger's syndrome was viciously attacked by three youths in Easter Ross.

Adam Caw (20) was left with a broken nose, a suspected broken cheekbone and two

black eyes after the teenagers jumped on him after taunting him on a public

service bus from Alness to Tain.

Adam had to be taken to Raigmore Hospital by ambulance following the attack by

the three Invergordon Academy pupils last Thursday afternoon.

Mr Caw, whose Asperger's means he has difficulties with social interaction, has

been so traumatised by the incident that he was unable to start his first job

the next day.

This week, as Invergordon Academy condemned such behaviour, police confirmed

they were following a positive line of enquiry.

Mr Caw's mother, Katrina Harvey, of Fearn in Easter Ross, told the North Star:

" My son was on a Stagecoach bus from Alness to Tain. The bus picked up the

Invergordon Academy children to take them home and on the journey from there to

Milton my son was harassed by three pupils, with slaps on the back of the head,

seat pushing etc.

" My son suffers from Asperger's and he has no confidence in these kind of

situations. With his condition he would not have reacted, just sat there and

said nothing. But he was shaking and when the youths saw that they probably

thought he was a soft touch.

" When the bus stopped in Milton he was attacked physically. This was a vicious

and unwarranted attack. Adam was taken to Raigmore Hospital with a broken nose

and a suspected broken cheekbone. He is home now but with two black eyes and a

very swollen and sore face. "

Mrs Harvey said her son had been due to start his first job on the Friday, the

day after the attack, with Mill Farm Salads in Dornoch.

" He wasn't able to start work because he was so traumatised, " she said.

" This is going to knock him back quite a bit. He's had a hard year anyway but

was starting to get his life back again.

" It was his first ever job so it was quite an achievement. With Adam having

Asperger's, as soon people hear he has problems they don't want to know.

" But Mill Farm have been fantastic and say they will keep the job open for Adam

until he feels ready. "

Asperger's, more common among males, is an autism spectrum disorder where people

have difficulty with social interaction and social communication.

Jim , the rector at Invergordon Academy, said the school had acted as soon

as it had been made aware of it.

" It was a public service bus, and not a school bus, but we take the view that

anything that happens between school and home is our business, " said Mr .

" It is important that young folk behave in an appropriate manner wherever they

are. It's a bad incident altogether.

" We have been in touch with Stagecoach and two of the boys are not travelling on

the bus at the moment. We are having a meeting with Stagecoach to try and decide

if they should be future travellers.

" We have also had meetings with the parents, and they are working with us to

ensure it doesn't happen again. "

Inspector Greenlees, Dingwall, said enquiries were continuing and police

were following a positive line of inquiry.

A spokeswoman for Stagecoach in the Highlands said: " We take any incidents on

board our vehicles very seriously and are assisting the police with the ongoing

investigation. "

[Guest guest]

That's about it. They thought he was an easy target. Until the various states give up on treating yobs like humans and starts beating and otherwise harming them, which is the only thing they understand, this will keep happening and get worse.

In a message dated 6/8/2011 3:40:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

"My son suffers from Asperger's and he has no confidence in these kind of situations. With his condition he would not have reacted, just sat there and said nothing. But he was shaking and when the youths saw that they probably thought he was a soft touch.