No, autism is an explanation for not saying "wow this guy is a real stain on society" and being reluctant to put him behind bars. That being said I don't like

No, autism is an explanation for not saying "wow this guy is a real stain on society" and being reluctant to put him behind bars. That being said I don't like infantilizing people who have autism without more profound disabilities in cognition (I am speaking as someone who has "mild" schizophrenia). Kurtaj seems to have normal intelligence and is not so disconnected from society as to be unaware what he allegedly did was wrong. In particular his alleged motivations and mental state during all this are not that different from a angry teenager with few friends and terrible judgment. There are other factors that are important for sentencing. Unlike the angry teen, it sounds like Kurtaj might have trouble holding down a job even if he gave his best effort at emotional and occupational therapy. But when people with autism seem perfectly capable of making moral choices, their diagnosis should inform your empathy. Turning that into an exoneration not only excuses certain bad people, but also denies that certain good people actually understand they're doing the right thing. It's totally dehumanizing.