Southern Arizona Online, a publication of the Tucson Citizen

Eastlack baby

John Eastlack was a quiet baby and his FAS symptoms went undiagnosed until after his double murder.

Another problem she sees is a lack of remorse. "I see some FAS kids who are very unsympathetic. It just escapes them."
Tanner Halverson said those who work in the criminal justice system must educate themselves on the impact of alcohol-related birth defects.
But, she added, in cases involving violence, perpetrators must be held accountable.
"If you're going to hurt or kill or maim or rape, we have a duty to protect society, even if it's not the fault of the person that has FAS," Tanner Halverson said.
She is opposed to executing murderers with FAS.

halverson Tanner Halverson said many of the alcohol-damaged children she evaluates have sexual problems. They often victimize, or are victimized.
"They don't understand what is an appropriate touch," Tanner Halverson said. "They're full of all this sexual energy and don't comprehend their boundaries."
About 45 percent of people with FAS and FAE engage in inappropriate sexual behavior, according to a study released last year by the University of Washington.
Tucsonan John Kellerman, 20, has fetal alcohol syndrome. His sexual urges have gotten him in trouble at school and elsewhere in the community.
"Sometimes he makes phone calls and says things he shouldn't," said his mother, Theresa Kellerman. "He makes inappropriate sexual remarks. I worry about what's going to happen to him when I'm not around to take care of him. My biggest fear is that he'll do something that will get him locked up. He'd be lost in the corrections system. Even an overnight stay in jail would be devastating."
Seventy-five percent of men with FAE have a history of confinement - either in prison, a mental health institution or drug and alcohol inpatient treatment. Most often, they end up behind bars.

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