Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Analysis of the Toronto Van Attack

Abstract

This thesis analyzed advocacy, judicial and media discourses surrounding the 2018 Toronto van attack with particular attention to the mobilization of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within discussions of criminal responsibility. The study examined how these three domains describe ASD in relation to crime and violence. The underlying objective was to understand the attitudes, perceptions, and institutional priorities that influence each domain's discourse.

A neo-positivist methodological framework ensured that the documents could be systematically and empirically analyzed. The thematic coding revealed that the domains describe autism in relation to their institutional priorities while the findings obtained during the cross-domain comparison revealed the points of convergence and divergence in discourses across the three domains.