Feb 162015
 
Below is the written response from Ms Carol Homden, Chairperson of The National Autistic Society in relation to the question of abuse of Anthony Kletzander.
Such is the limited  “transparency and openness” at the NAS it has been necessary to communicate via an intermediary to put questions to the chairperson. It is not permissible to have direct email, contact with her, even thought she is responsible and accountable for this publicly funded National Charity.
Dear Mr Whittaker

The Chair of the NAS, Dr Carol Homden, has now considered your messages to her and has reviewed the background to your correspondence with the NAS.

The essential facts in this matter are:

. The NAS has no legal or contractual relationship with either yourself or Anthony Kletzander, nor with those who represent him;
. The NAS has no operational presence in the Republic of Ireland;
. The NAS has no influence and does not seek to have influence over government agencies in the Republic of Ireland;

Notwithstanding these facts, the NAS has used its best endeavours to facilitate an agreed way forward for the care of Anthony.

Autism Accreditation, operated by the NAS, accredits several autism services provided by Nua Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland. These services meet the standards required by the accreditation scheme and the status of each service is reviewed every three years.

There is nothing further that the NAS can do in this matter and this correspondence is therefore being brought to a close.

This indifferent piece of rhetoric from The Chair of NAS attempts to distance NAS from their active role in continuing to uncritically support an institution where Anthony Kletzander is abused.

 

NAS choose “jurisdiction” and lack of “contractual obligations” as their defence to “wash their hands of any responsibility” of the abuse of a young man with Autism.

 

Ms Homden has failed to address the central question.

 

Whilst she acknowledges continued NAS accreditation of NUA Institution – why did NAS recently undertake an intermediate review of Nua institution, outside of their stated accredited protocol, and provide additional endorsement of Nua Institution, without any reference whatever to the allegations of abuse ?

 

Rather than attempt to quell growing anger about the role of NAS, she has compounded NAS shame by hiding behind the jargon of standards.

 

Ms Homden, makes no mention of UN Human Rights or concern about the abuse for a young man with Autism, simply that Nua Institution have conformed to the appropriate standards of NAS protocols.

 

I am very sorry Ms Homden you may want to close down communication on this issue, but supporters of Anthony Kletzander will not accept NAS being an apologist for an institution, where allegations of abuse have taken place.

 

The NAS continued accreditation of Nua means you are inextricably linked to the allegation of that abuse.

 

Many of institutions and professionals took a similar view as Senior managers of the NAS, about the systematic abuse in Rotherham over many years. We now know of the dreadful ordeal for many disempowered young people.

 

We can not allow such indifference to happen again.

Joe Whittaker

Protest Co-ordinator and friend of Anthony Kletzander.
Please join the protest of 6pm on 3rd March 2015 at The Royal Hall in Harrogate against the callous indifference to abuse of Anthony Kletzander by the NAS and demand answers to serious questions. Or if you can’t get to the Harrogate protest, you can tweet to the NAS using @Autism and the hashtag #AnthoyKletzander to show support for the protest.
Please Sign and Share the Petition to Free Anthony Kletzander
Please Donate to the legal fund, or if you can’t afford to donate but want to help, please share the link and ask others to donate.

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 Posted by at 22:15

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