More than a half a year after the remains of autistic boy JJ Vallow and his sister were found on their stepfather’s property in Salem, Idaho, a Utah group is raising awareness of filicide.
Neurodiverse Utah is hosting an online vigil for the disabled victims of filicide, which is when a child is killed by a relative or caretaker. While JJ Vallow’s death was one of the most high-profile recent cases of alleged filicide with a disabled victim, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network has documented about 700 such cases over the past five years.
“We stand with victims of filicide to send a message that disability is never a justification for violence,” a Neurodiverse Utah release states. “Media and society often portrays … filicide as justified because they (victims) are seen as a burden, and that their deaths are inevitable. Read the rest of the story on HJnews.com.
To register for the free event, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/disability-day-of-mourning-virtual-candlelight-vigil-tickets-138031751685.
This story is made possible thanks to a community reporting partnership between The Herald Journal and Utah Public Radio.
