IS IT CHILD ABUSE? or am I exaggerating?

My neighbors have a son with Asbergers Syndrome. He is 14 yrs old and lost his biological father about 2 years ago. His mother has been verbally abusive (foul language) to him since he was a small child. She now has a new man in her life (who does not work) and has older children who visit often. Whenever they have an argument her son breaks out with foul language towards his mother and her new man has his older son's hold him down while they put liquid soap in his mouth. His mother talks to him in a very calm and rational voice (instead of her usual foul mouth technique in front of the new man). When her son lashes out physically (fighting off being forced to swallow soap) he will do alot of damage to the house and hit the new man and his sons. They end up calling the police and have him thrown in juvenille detention. I stepped out yesterday, while the police were there, and asked his mother if he could come to my house to chill out for awhile and try to diffuse the situation. She said he could not be 50 yards away from here because of a court order and told me "NO". Instead, the police took him away. I feel this kid is getting a bad shake and I feel powerless to do anything. Any suggestions? By the way, the new man weighs 300 pounds and does nothing but sponge off the mother and his grown sons dress goth and I know they are not angels (even though their father seems to think so). Hope you can help with some words of wisdom, I feel badly for this child who will be spending Christmas locked up.