Ruth Spurling talks to Joe Duffy on Liveline about her son Joshua getting robbed in the city centre and how the attack has affected his life. Listen back above.

23-year-old Wicklow man Joshua Spurling attends college in Bray and has a part-time job in his home town of Greystones. He's crazy about movies and goes to the cinema three times a week - usually on his own, which he loves. Earlier this week, something changed. From now on, one of his parents will always have to accompany Joshua to the cinema. His independence has been compromised by the fact that he was cruelly targeted and robbed by a pair of thieves because he has Down syndrome.

While on a college trip to Dublin, Josh was approached by two young women who told him they were hungry and tried to force him to withdraw money from an ATM in a shop on Aston Quay. The man behind the counter saw what was happening and chased the girls away. But when he left the shop, the girls were lying in wait for him, as Josh’s mum Ruth explains:

"They accosted him, and as much as I can get from him, they moved him from the quays to the GPO ATM where they took out €500. According to the Bank of Ireland - who have been fantastic - they made five more attempts to take money out."

Ruth says her son was deliberately targeted because he has Down syndrome and she is aware of other similar cases. She says Josh is still processing what happened to him. Josh is a kind-hearted person, she says, and he likes to help people, but this leaves him vulnerable to exploitation:

"I think he was confused, because he still sort of thinks they were hungry, and he was helping them. It’s just so sad and so upsetting. Because you know, it’s everything we dread as parents of special needs children growing up, that when we give them that independence and we have our hearts in our mouths when they go out."

The Gardaí have obtained CCTV footage and are investigating the robbery, but the damage has been done. Being effectively 'kidnapped’, as Joe described it and bullied into withdrawing cash and handing it over – these are not normal circumstances for any young person, Ruth says. She’s not sure what the long-term effect on Josh may be:

"He seems ok. I do know from experience of other parents of children with Down syndrome that they can have delayed reactions to trauma like this."

For now, Joshua won’t be able to go to the cinema in Dublin alone. Part of his hard-won independence as a young adult has been taken from him by this incident, Ruth says:

"Unfortunately, he won’t be going to - he loves going to the cinema - but he will only be going now with his dad or with me."

Several other parents of vulnerable young adults called in to Liveline, adding their own stories of attacks on their loved ones. Aisling McNiffe could barely hold back the tears of frustration as she empathised with Ruth on the show:

"My heart breaks for Ruth, because she’s worked so hard for his independence. And to be taken advantage of ... The disability allowance is nothing. Our kids and our young adults, they need that. And Joshua needs his independence and it’s hard-earned."

Aisling is mum to Jack, also a vulnerable young adult and friend of Josh’s. She says the targeting of young people like Josh makes life so much more difficult for families like hers:

"You do worry about your children if they have special needs all the time anyway. Because they are just so vulnerable, you know."

Maria Burke called in from Kinsale to talk about her beloved brother Francis, who has Down syndrome. She says she would be gutted if anyone treated her brother so cruelly. As a public health nurse and as a sister, she says she's had some wonderful experiences of kindness from the public. She says it’s easy to pick on a vulnerable adult, but she’s horrified and baffled that anyone would do it:

"Down syndrome: they have visible features. They are beautiful and loving and kind and warm. And a big smile. If you show them kindness, they will give it back ten-fold. That kind of behaviour, what is going on for those two girls – that is the question I’d be asking."

If you or anyone you know has been affected by issues raised in this item, you can find information on helplines here.