Francis Chartrand for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles

She was heartened that her child mental al'âge trisomic which a child of five years, has not completely understood the accusations of racism and aggression brought against him, much less begun to consider the consequences.

But shortly after Christmas while the family watched television, Fiona realized with horror that Jamie was not so unconscious that she would have hoped.

A scene showing a prison appeared on the screen and Jamie said quietly: "I do not want to go to prison, Mom. Please do not leave me there." He then broke into tears.

"I've made in my arm and told him that everything would go well," said Fiona.

"Throughout this nightmare I have done my best to smile and act normally around Jamie, just to protect from all this. But that evening, as he sanglotait in my arms, I was not sure that everything will be OK."

"My worst fear was that Jamie would be taken somewhere and that I would not be able to protect it. I said: "Jamie, you n'iras not in prison," but I also melted into tears."

When Fiona - who lives in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, with her husband James, 46 years, telecommunications entrepreneur, and their daughter Stephanie, 17 years - uses the word "nightmare", this is not a euphemism.

His situation is so ridiculous, it would be laughable if possible ramifications had not been so serious.

Its history is also an example of how disturbing whose extreme political correctness may allow minor incidents were inflated out of all proportion.

The events which have both anguished over the past few months have begun with an incident on a playground between two individuals with special needs.

Everything has quickly degenerated into a 7-month criminal investigation that could have led to drag the son of Fiona in a court where he would emerge with a criminal record.

Last September, Jamie - who is 18 years but can not even tie his own shoelaces, needs help on the toilet, should not be left alone in the house and still on his mother to put to bed the evening - had an altercation with a Muslim girl the same age, also a student at Motherwell College in Lanarkshire for individuals with special needs, where Jamie is a student.

In two words: the girl has angered the boy, the boy pushed the girl and told him to leave. Then, the girl spoke to the professor.

The two were sent on their own and their parents informed of the incident.

Given their mental age, this was not a more significant altercation on a playground between two children five years. It should have stopped there.

Instead, a notice was placed in the local newspaper - we do not know by whom - calling witnesses to a "racial aggression" in college the day in question.

This is not yet clear whether this is the opinion which led to the police investigation or if the family of the girl who was contacted. Anyway, just over a week later, Jamie was accused of racism and assault. It was a crazy example of political correctness zealous, a local policy of zero tolerance against racism applied to the extreme with no common sense, let alone account for the unusual circumstances of the individuals involved.

After months of stress and fear, proof Baulds ended yesterday when, in a remarkable escalation, the office of Crown issued a formal apology to the family for the distress caused over the last seven months .

All charges were dropped, but for Fiona, this is not enough.

Not only have they been faced with confusion, red tape and lack of compassion in their dealings with the Scottish legal system, they fear that the reputation of Jamie is tainted forever as a result of the charge.

"Our family has been subjected to a terrible ordeal for nothing," said Fiona. "It is absolutely ridiculous that the authorities have laid charges against our adult son, who was not only innocent, but obviously unable to understand why he was in trouble."

"For example, when the police arrived for an interview with Jamie, he greeted with a big smile and a handshake. As they read him his rights, he said thank you for coming to see me, and has acquiesced to anything they said."

Those who have Down's syndrome are often agree with everything you said to them simply to please others.

Fiona continues: "I said: 'Do you realize that he did not understand what you say?" Police officers have admitted that they had no training on how to deal with people who special needs.

"But the formal process was already enclanché. From this moment, it seemed there was nothing that my husband or I can do to stop it."

(…)

But shortly after the visit, a letter arrived, saying that the authorities had enough evidence to accuse Jamie.

"This is where the hell has begun for the whole family," said Fiona. "I read the letter with trembling hands, and I was crying. I telephoned the prosecutor's office five times and asked if they knew that Jamie was trisomic, but nobody wanted to talk about the case with me."

(…)

Only a fortnight ago - seven and a half months after the initial incident - that the family received a short letter saying that the prosecutor would not the prosecution. He has not apologized.

And although the Crown has submitted an official apology yesterday, Fiona has the impression that they were victims of "political correctness gone mad".

A spokesman for Scotland Trisomy is also horrified by the case and called for better treatment and understanding.

She says "I've never met a trisomic that is racist. This incident should have been limited to school. It was very poorly managed."

Next week, Jamie returned to college, and his mother believes it is likely he will forget the events of the last seven months before it.

(…) .