“This was not about autism”
May 25, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
So says Michael McCarron of Indianapolis, and the paternal grandfather of Katherine McCarron, the three-year old autistic girl whose mother, Dr. Karen McCarron, allegedly suffocated her with a plastic bag.
Phil Luciano’s column at PJStar.com also quotes Michael McCarron as saying:
- “I am positively revolted when I read quotes that would imply any degree of understanding or hint at condoning the taking of my granddaughter’s life……. I’m dealing with a very straight-forward murder case.”
- “This was not about autism. This was not about a lack of support.”
- “This was our first granddaughter….. Autism or not, you don’t get any more special than that.”
- “An autistic child is a handful…….They are very difficult to train.”
- “When people say, ‘I can understand that,’ I just want to cover my head…….We’re not dealing with desperation here. We’re not dealing with ‘we have to end this child’s pain.’
“Having held that little girl in my arms and have her laugh with me or have her clutch me when I gave her raspberries, I can’t understand that.”
Mr. McCarron, I hope it is all right if I quote your words here because they have been running through my mind, especially yesterday’s Katherine McCarron Memorial on the Autism Hub. As an autism mother–whose own parents, like you, are autism grandparents–I feel a tremendous connection to your family right now. And it is because of autism.
That said, Mr. McCarron, I too do not understand it—I just can’t understand it.
When he says “This was not about autism,” I read it as “Her being autistic does not justify this and people claiming to ‘understand’ why her mother killed her, on the basis of autism, are wrong”.
I read it that way, too.
I am wondering if he also meant that there might be some other reason the mother did it—that she had some kind of psychiatric issues and (terrible to write this) would have done it whether or not her daughter was autistic.
I also thought he might have meant that, although I don’t think that only people with “psychiatric issues” murder their children. Most abusers and murderers are perfectly “sane”. I also think he might have meant there was some other motive that has not been addressed yet (such as revenge on a family member or something). I don’t think it’s any more terrible the concept she would have done this to any child, than that she would have done it to an autistic child. I think it’s fairly common that when someone murders a disabled child, everyone assumes the murder has something to do with the disability, and may be more quick to excuse it. (In fact that has happened before and the murderer has gone on to kill non-disabled people.)
I keep watching PJstar.com for updates.
“I think it’s fairly common that when someone murders a disabled child, everyone assumes the murder has something to do with the disability, and may be more quick to excuse it.”
Yes, I think so too and my mom keeps on going back to Andrea Yates.