However,if I was a juror in a civil action in which she,or her estate,was seeking damages for having been unfairly exploited I'd be voting "guilty" or "responsible".
IMO no person with Down's Syndrome can reasonably consent to something like this....just as an "intoxicated" woman cannot consent to sex.
LOL, yes I am a practicing physician. I have also played in various live bands throughout my life, most predominantly swing bands. When I subbed for this one rock band, the lead singer called me “swingdoc”. He has since passed away and my screen name is a tribute to him. TMI maybe?
There are examples of Down’s patients being able to give informed consent. Informed consent is a person’s baseline right, unless it is pulled from them by a third party. It is a case by case decision, but in a court case for example, if the person in question had been deemed able to give informed consent, I cannot see how exploitation would move forward.
It is all very interesting in this complex world we live in.
I am still happy for her. Even the most severe patients with Down’s have excellent self awareness (until later in life if they get Alzheimer’s) and a great understanding of their life and their role in their surrounding society.