The Mighty Logo

Princess Diana's Goddaughter With Down Syndrome Responds to TV Star's Hateful Comments

The most helpful emails in health
Browse our free newsletters

Domenica Lawson, goddaughter to the late Princess Diana, has responded to comments made by a British reality TV personality about people with Down syndrome.

Ursula Presgrave, 24, who appeared on BBC3’s show “The Call Centre,” posted on her Facebook page last week her thoughts that all people with Down syndrome should be “put down,” Wales Online reported. The post, later removed, said the following:

“Anyone born with down syndrome should be put down, it’s just cruel to let them lead a pointless life of a vegetable.”

Lawson, 20, has Down syndrome and is the daughter of Rosa Monckton, who was close friends with Princess Diana. Lawson was born two years before Princess Diana’s death and is now a student at City College Brighton and Hove, according to her Facebook page.

Lawson recently spoke out about the hateful comments and wrote a letter to Presgrave, the Irish Mirror reported.

With Downs syndrome we are born this way and we are not like vegetables – that’s a mad thing to say. This is my life,” Lawson wrote, according to the outlet. “You can’t say put Down’s Syndrome people down like a dog – it’s upsetting and it’s not on. So what if we are Down’s Syndrome – it makes us who we are. We are real people.”

Since Presgrave’s original comment sparked outrage on Facebook, it has been removed and police have launched an investigation into the post after receiving a number of complaints, Wales Online reported.

Hear more from Rosa Monckton and Domenica Lawson in the documentary about children with special needs below, called “Letting Go.”

Originally published: September 22, 2015
Want more of The Mighty?
You can find even more stories on our Home page. There, you’ll also find thoughts and questions by our community.
Take Me Home