On April 5^th, 2018, Abraham Cardenas, a 7-year-old Autistic boy from Sweden, NY, was murdered when his mother stabbed and decapitated him in their home. The murder occurred while his grandmother, father, and older brother were in the house. Abraham was formerly a student of Stepping Stones Learning Center, a school for children with Developmental Disabilities. When the Learning Center closed, Abraham moved into the first grade at Barclay Elementary School in Brockport. He was well-liked by the staff at both schools.

The Center for Disability Rights (CDR) and the Disability Community mourn Abraham and will regretfully add his name to the list of disabled people killed by family members or caregivers. Every year on March 1^st, CDR participates in the Disability Day of Mourning by reading this list, which is maintained by a number of organizations. Abraham joins the hundreds of disabled people that were reported to be killed by a family member or caregiver.

As details of this horrific murder are revealed,  we ask that the media frame this story as an innocent disabled boy who was murdered. Tell the story that disabled lives are worth living. What happened to Abraham was despicable and should be treated that way. Stop the murder of disabled people now!

 

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