Help Our Autistic Sister Sianne Fight Systemic Abuse

My name is Adam, and I’m writing this on behalf of our autistic sister, Sianne. Every day, I find myself speaking for her because the world doesn’t give her the space or understanding to have her voice heard.

The trauma and contempt she faces, simply for being different, are devastating to witness as her brother. I’ve watched in horror as professionals repeatedly disregard the traits of ADHD and Autism that she struggles with, treating her symptoms as defects, rather than as what they truly are—part of who she is.

Why We Desperately Need Your Help

Sianne is an incredibly brave, loving person who happens to have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD, all of which affect her ability to communicate. Despite all of this, she is currently being abused by a system meant to protect her.

She faces a world that refuses to listen. Her health has deteriorated significantly, and she is having an operation today. She is scared and she is alone, I live a 3.5 hour drive away. I hope medical professionals don’t react to my sister’s AuDHD with the same harshness as the police and courts. The pain of what she’s endured haunts me daily.

In October 2023, Sianne was wrongfully accused of causing harm during an incident where her disabilities were not just misunderstood—they were weaponised against her. Her meltdowns, a well-documented involuntary response to extreme stress, were caused by a targeted verbal assault from two people who cruelly mocked her disabilities. Instead of recognising her as the victim, the police have ignored medical reports and treated her as the aggressor, charging her with offenses that would impact her for the rest of her life. My sister is now facing the unbearable pressure of defending herself in a legal system that refuses to acknowledge her autism.

Myself and our brother are also neurodivergent, but when we speak to professionals, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. This has led me to believe that this is not just about misunderstanding but also about misogyny—the idea that a straight-to-the-point autistic woman is "dangerous and borderline aggressive," while the same bluntness in a man is seen as "passionate." The double standard is heartbreaking.

But it doesn’t stop there. These same people have threatened to kill her. Yes, you read that correctly—threats to kill. My sister lives in constant fear because police have done nothing. When she reported these threats, they told her they weren’t her "24-hour security" and to come back only when the threats were carried out. Imagine being told that by the very people who are supposed to keep you safe.

The suspect has even been identified by other neighbours, yet the police deliberately omitted this from their records, writing “suspect can’t be identified” instead. It feels like a nightmare, but it’s Sianne’s reality every single day.

The Systemic Abuse of a Vulnerable Woman

This isn’t an isolated case. The police have dragged my sister in for voluntary interviews countless times, responding to false allegations made by her ex-partner, who has used the justice system to harass and manipulate her. Despite him being arrested for this pattern of behavior, the police hide his arrests from key agencies like the MARAC teams, which means Sianne can’t get the support she desperately needs from independent domestic violence advocates. How can the system claim to protect victims when it enables the abusers?

Our sister is also in civil courts due to her ex-partner, who for example, has weaponised non-molestation orders against her. Whist they were dismissed she has spent her life savings on legal fees. She has been financially bled dry over more than 2 years. Any agency he can use to pull her deeper into the system where she will struggle to communicate, become emotionally dysregulated, and be abused—he utilises. He knows exactly how to push her into the bureaucratic abyss, where her voice will not be heard.

It’s been since 2015 that authorities have refused to protect her from this coersive control, despite him being arrested for harassing other women during this period and even other women coming forward to write statements. She met him when she was only 15, and he has stolen her entire adult life!

Sianne has lost career opportunities due to him harassing her and making false DWP complaints about her co-workers. He has done this deliberately, to isolate her and drive her out of work. It has been successful. The system has been weaponised to keep her oppressed, and it is devastating to see her struggle.

117 weeks and 2 days ago, the police helped him break a court order. Professionals rang his solicitor on his behalf, asking how they could assist in breaking it. They advised falsifying safeguarding concerns. A police officer then took my sister’s ADHD and autism symptoms and twisted them to claim she was speaking “aggressively” as a means of justifying these false allegations.

For 117 weeks, my sister has faced daily systemic abuse. It is a cycle she cannot escape, and I have felt helpless in my attempts to aid her. Once these systems have you, they do not want to let you go. If I hadn’t watched this happen with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it was possible.

What We’re Fighting For:

- Legal Representation: We urgently need funds for a lawyer (quoted 25k-45k) who understands neurodiversity and disability rights to defend Sianne in court. She needs someone to fight back against these baseless charges and make sure her disabilities are properly understood.

- Medical Experts and Reports: Additional assessments are needed to ensure the court has all the information about how Sianne's conditions affect her actions, so they don’t continue to be ignored.

- Public Awareness: The more people who know about Sianne's case, the better. We need to raise awareness of the systemic discrimination women with disabilities face in the justice system, and that starts with her story being heard.

- Emotional and Medical Support: The toll this has taken on Sianne’s health is immense. She needs consistent medical and emotional support to get through this ordeal.

Our sister, Sianne, needs specific autism specialists to help her navigate these challenges. Without their guidance and expertise, she is being failed again and again by the people and systems meant to help her.

How You Can Help:

Your social media shares and donations can help us afford the specialised legal assistance and medical experts Sianne needs. It will also allow us to raise awareness and force the police and the justice system to be held accountable for their actions.

No one should live in fear. If things don’t change soon, I worry she’ll end up like Alixis Quinn, an incredibly strong Autistic woman who spent years of her life known as "Patient 11"—trapped in a system that ignores her needs and violates her rights. My worst nightmare for her is becoming a reality every day.

No one should have to endure this level of abuse simply because they’re autistic. Please, help my sister fight for her life and her freedom.

Share her story, donate what you can, and stand with Sianne in her fight for justice.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting.