Another horrible news piece. It's "old news", but horrifying none the less. I only just heard about it.

UNIONTOWN, Pa. -- A baseball coach accused of offering an 8-year-old money to bean an autistic teammate so he couldn't play was convicted Thursday of two lesser charges against him, and evaded more serious charges.

"The verdict means the jury believed that Downs asked his player to hurt his teammate, but that the jury did not feel that the autistic boy -- who suffered bruises and an infected ear -- suffered "serious bodily injury," District Attorney Nancy Vernon said. Aggravated assault and reckless endangerment both require authorities to prove that serious bodily injury occurred or was intended to occur."


I don't have to tell you the obvious, that you have to be one sick and twisted individual to not only want to injure a child, but to ask other kids to do it for you. I don't know if it's relevant or not that the child had Autism, but it sure makes the coach look like even more of an asshole. I can't believe the fact they (the jury, defense, etc) are saying "well, the boy wasn't seriously injured". As if that's the point? What's wrong with people?!