Harrogate artists show their support for a campaigner who lost her autistic son to a killer

A recent successful event in Harrogate has highlighted a campaigner's long battle to improve the law for autistic and vulnerable adults

Members of St Paul’s Art Group organised an art workshop in support of a national campaign by Fiona Laskaris who inspired Christopher's Law .

Following the murder of her autistic son Christopher, who was exploited and ultimately murdered in Leeds at the age of 24, Fiona has been urging the government to back a change in law that would allow families to request mental capacity assessments for vulnerable loved ones who they fear are being groomed or exploited.

Held at St Paul’s Church on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate, the art event, Jane Weilding from St Paul’s Art Group said it had been an inspiring event.

"Our workshop was a visual representation of Fiona's campaign to improve the law around mental capacity assessments and prevent the presumption of capacity and potential abuse of vulnerable adults.

“We enjoyed supporting Fiona’s campaign in such an inspiring and fun way.”

Fiona’s autistic son Christopher was exploited and murdered in his home in 2016 after local services assumed he had capacity to make decisions which left him at serious risk of harm.

Despite his documented history of exploitation, abuse and self-neglect, they ignored multiple safeguarding concerns and doubts about his capacity raised by his family over many years.

A dozen talented artists from St Paul’s Art Group were delighted to take part in the From All Walks of Life challenge to create their own sketches, paintings, collages and mixed media art of shoes walking/marching/running/wheeling in the same direction.

The idea behind this was to show unity, a shared journey and experiences.

This week will see a series of events nationwide to mark National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which runs from October 10-17.

As part of her campaign, Fiona Laskaris is also calling for the Government to pursue work on a Vulnerable Adults Bill for cases where vulnerable people are being groomed and exploited but deemed to have capacity.

Fiona Laskaris said she was delighted with the art project and wider support for her campaign. She has suggested making the project as diverse as possible.

“Nothing can bring back my lovely Christopher,” she said, “but I want to do everything I can to raise awareness of the importance of listening to families’ concerns for their vulnerable adult children.”