by Jenna Martinez

Every year on March 1st, those with disabilities and the community surrounding them come together to bring awareness to the growing number of murders committed by parents or caregivers of people with disabilities. While filicide, or the act of intentionally killing one’s own child / adult offspring is a growing statistic on its own, people with disabilities are 60% more likely to be murdered by their parents or caregivers than people without disabilities. On top of this statistic, the criminal justice system continuously gives lighter sentences, if any at all, to the perpetrators of these crimes. That is why the Disability Day of Mourning has become internationally recognized.  

History of Disability Day of Mourning 

The Disability Day of Mourning was created in 2012 to help bring conversation and advocacy to this overlooked act of violence. Rather than those who commit these crimes being condemned, they are often given sympathy from the justice system and these murders are deemed as justifiable. The primary incident that called for awareness to be brought to this topic and the implementation of this day was the murder of George Hodgins, a 22-year-old man with autism who was killed by his mother/caregiver in a murder-suicide. When news media outlets reported on this crime, George was referred to as ‘low-functioning’ while his mother was deemed ‘devoting.’ George was deemed a ‘high-maintenance burden’ while his mother was called ‘loving.’ These reports only further pushed the narrative that the murder of people with disabilities is justifiable on the sole basis that the victim has a disability. This tragedy influenced Zoe Gross, a person with autism, to bring her community together to mourn the victim and not the perpetrator, unlike the rest of the media.  

Warning Signs of Potential Filicide 

There have been over 20 murders of this degree within the past year.  Many of these cases could have been prevented if warning signs were noticed and an intervention occurred. Therefore, to further prevent this tragedy from continuing to occur, it is important to educate oneself on the warning signs of abuse towards people with disabilities. With this knowledge, we can better advocate for ourselves and the community.  

• Warning signs of abuse: changes in behavior such as refusing to see certain people or go to certain places, changes in emotional states, unexplained cuts and bruises, burns, isolation, and overmedication 
• Warning signs of neglect: malnourishment, dehydration, lack of food in the home, pressure sores, unpaid bills, or animal/insect infestation in the home  
• Warning signs of exploitation: withdrawal of significant amounts of money, forged checks, unknown credit card charges, limited or no knowledge/access to finances, and reliance on caregivers who have a history of mental illness or substance abuse 

By knowing the warning signs, you can help those with disabilities out of a possibly fatal situation.  

How To Report Suspected Abuse 

• Notify the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities Office (518-473-7032). 
• Notify the Center for Prevention of Abuse (309-637-3905) 
• Call the Office of Inspector General Abuse and Neglect Hotline (1-800-368-1463) 
• In emergency abuse situations, call 911. 

How to Support Families of People with Disabilities 

To further protect people with disabilities from becoming future victims of filicide, we must recognize what we can do to support the families as well. Attending local legislative meetings to support the need for disability services and homecare funding is a great way to advocate. Offering help when asked / when appropriate, using proper terminology, and recognizing someone as a person first, and not just their disability all help show support and remove stigma.  

Get Involved! 

• Check out Autistic Self Advocacy Network to find a list of vigils in NY at https://autisticadvocacy.org/2024/01/2024-vigil-sites/ 
• Read about the warning signs of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals with disabilities and older adults at https://www.specialneedsalliance.org/blog/recognizing-and-preventing-abuse-neglect-and-exploitation-of-individuals-with-disabilities-and-older-adults/ 
• Watch this video on Preventing Abuse Towards People With Disabilities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps0Rt9TU3ao 

Overall, the Disability Day of Mourning stands as a reminder of what can happen when a community of people is overlooked and deemed disposable in society. This day remembers those people and acts as their voices to bring awareness and promote change in the ongoing acts of violence against people with disabilities. While this topic is often under-reported and overlooked, it is on us to advocate for those who lost their voices, and their lives, at the hands of those who are supposed to protect, support, and care for them.  If you are interested in advocating for these issues, or have questions about these topics, please contact ATI at 607-753-7363 or by email at info@aticortland.org. We can help you find ways to contribute to advocacy efforts.