A Winnipeg woman says she’s no longer able to care for her 16-year-old son, who has autism, because of his violence toward her.
She wants to surrender guardianship to Winnipeg Child and Family Services — but the agency says he needs to stay with her.
CBC News is not identifying the woman or her son to protect their privacy. We’ve given her the pseudonym of Olivia and her son the pseudonym of Noah.
Noah has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and suffers from anxiety.
“He is strong. He can throw me. That’s a bad day, Bruises. Lots of bruises, and just anger.… I think I’ve lost consciousness one time,” Olivia said.
“I can’t get through to him. Like, I look at him and I try to calm him, and it’s just — he’s not even himself.”
Olivia said there have been numerous instances when she’s locked him out of the house and called police after he’s beaten her.
Police have been able to calm him down, she says, but in a few days, he’d act violently again. Officers have asked her to file a formal complaint, but she refused.
Noah was placed into the agency’s Emergency Placement Resource program — where he was temporarily housed at shelters and hospitals. But Olivia said on June 15, a court ordered Noah to live with her permanently — a decision she said is not realistic.
Olivia said since Noah was placed in the Emergency Placement Resource program in December, he ran away from shelters and hospitals about a dozen times.
Police were called in, and searches were escalated because he’s considered a vulnerable person.
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