Are you a gaper or a helper?

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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/28/california.gang.rape.bystander/index.html

This story is wrong on so many levels. Twenty people were there and not one of them had a heart. All of them watched or participated. WTF? If I were the judge, jury and excutioner, they all would be held responsible, not just the participants. Really, WTF! How can you just stand there and do nothing?

 

What the ****? That is horrifying, how could you not even call 911?

I am entirely disgusted with this situation.

 

I'm shocked that anyone who is a substantial witness can get away without reporting a crime! I mean, if you're driving by and see a man grab a woman by the arm, it's one thing. They may be involved in a heated discussion, with no real chance of physical violence. He may have been calling to her and she simply didn't hear, so he's making sure. It's not necessarily evidence of a crime.

This, however, was, beyond any doubt. I'd say every witness that did nothing should be prosecuted (if only that were the law)! I'd much rather have 10 people report the same crime than no one report it.

 

This happened far too often.

Of note: The bar mentioned in the article made thousands of dollars by selling "I smelt the felt" t-shirts -- they may still be selling them.

 

The fact that it's against the law to not report a crime against a child in California is great, but it only includes children up to the age of 14. Unfortunately, this girl was 15. Why it doesn't cover all minors is odd????

 

When I lived in Hollywood I knew a family whose oldest daughter had been raped and beaten to death at a bus stop on Hollywood Blvd, at 5PM on a weekday. I think it was estimated that the crime was seen by thousands of people during the 15 or so minutes the assault took place.

 

I would like to think I would have called 911. But let's be honest: Do you really expect the justice system to protect you from the accused? I don't. Ask any woman whose been victimized by a bastard who was under a restraining order. There's a case where this little piece of filth here in Edmonton killed another teen. Bleeding heart loser judge let him out on "conditions". He regularly violates those conditions by roaring past the house of his victim. When the victim's parents complain, they are told by hand wringing buttholes that "oh, there's nothing we can do."

Bring back real justice and people will have faith in the system. As it stands, I'm not going to put my family at risk of being the next victims and then the justice system letting the dirtbags off with pathetic slaps on the wrist.

 

I would step in every time, as I have in the past. At age 22, I had to stop a guy from pummeling the living hell out of his girlfriend. The guy was almost twice my size and had the girl by throat on the hood of his car, just pounding her face in. It was raining pretty good and I was leaving my friends house, around midnight. I stopped when I saw it and ran over to help her. I eneded wrestling with the buffoon for about 5 minutes. I got his shirt up over his head and had to hit him twice for him to chill. Luckily, a cop drove by, the station was only a mile down the road. My two shots on him busted his nose pretty good. I had to go to court to defend my actions! The girl didn't back me up initially, but gave in after the initial cop on the scene talked to her multiple times in order to get her to testify for me. Apparently this wasn't the 1st time he has done this to her, so she was very afraid of him. It took a little courage on her part and I commend her for it. Even though I was almost prosecuted for helping a "Damsel in Distress", I would do it again and again. To not help just seems wrong to me.

 

You're lucky -- my brother intervened in an almost identical situation and ended cold-cocked by . . . the damsel! She gave him a concussion. Call the cops, sure. But these situations can be damn volatile. I don't care how tough you are, it can get ugly real fast.

You're lucky she eventually DID back you up or YOU would have been the one in prison for assault while the real criminal was merrily beating the tar out of his girlfriend.

 

I wouldn't go that far. It was obvious to the cops on the scene that he wasn't the one beating the girl. Even without her testimony, it is likely that the grand jury would have thrown the case out. While it is true that good Samaritans can and do get punished for their selfless actions from time to time, such is not the norm in our judicial system.

 

In this case, I doubt I would of ended up prosecuted, the scumbag had a long list on his sheet. My point is though, I will always help. It's not in me to turn away from someone who is in obvious need of help. If I encountered the same guy hitting the same girl, I would intervene again.

 

I'm the "try to stay unnoticed and look unconcerned while text messaging our equivalent of 911" type.

 

This is horrible I'm disgusted with the whole situation.

I think Blades said it up perfectly, "Twenty people were there and not one of them had a heart."


I actually had a run in with two guys trying to force a girl into their car behind a movie theater on a rainy night. Long story short; I ended up getting an obscene amount of stitches in my face (Over 10!) but the girl managed to get away, I never did figure out who she was, as she never came forward, but I too had to go to court!

 

Wait, did they accuse you of something? Or was it to testify against the attempted rapists?

 

Me? To defend my actions, as of course they said I started it and they were acting in self defense. They ended up spending a few nights in jail for assault and I got off with nadda, the girl never came forward and the guys refused the fact that there was a girl so as far as the law was concerned I got pummeled by two large men for no reason. But, in the end she got away from what could have been an awful night for her, which is more than worth a few stitches.

I don't think the 'penalty' for attempted rape is very much, unless actual rape, with evidence, occurs, which is really sad. So even if she did come forward, they probably wouldn't have done much more time than they did for the assault.

 

It's a shame she didn't come forward, but I can understand why - that is a rough situation for both you and her. It is nice to know someone is willing to stand up to people who think they have the right to abuse people's most inherent right.