Truly a disconcerting incident, it is so sad. :(

The school I taught at had NO SOCIAL FUNCTIONS besides Prom. I think the facilities were just too small for almost 2000 students. If they can survive without dances, then this school can do the same in light of this disgusting, sad crime.

I'm appalled that kids could just stand there and allow something like this to happen! What a bunch of idiots! I'm sorry their age isn't an excuse either, at 15 you do know right from wrong!

These kids deserve NOTHING at school and I mean nothing. They should literally take away all social activities (not only dances, but sports events). If they can't show responsibility at a dance, what the heck makes me think they can be mature at a sporting event! I'm so appalled. Wow.

THANK YOU!
This is horrible. It has been major news around the Bay Area

...but more arrests, as many as 20 total, are expected, according to a police detective.


If the girl was a year younger...
A 1999 California law makes it illegal not to report a witnessed crime against a child, but the law applies only to children 14 and under.

Not the first time we have heard in recent months and years that a crime was witnessed by multitudes and no one lifted a finger to help.

There have even been cases where people have even recorded the crime in progress for youtube uploads later but still never came forward to help police catch the guilty.

Example was the kid who got beaten with a rail tie last month in Chicago.

Question: Should it be allowable to prosecute someone who witnesses a crime and not act to help when they have the ability to do so in cases such as this?

Should witnesses be held to the same culpability as those who are actually committing the crime?

In CT, it's possible to be charged with a misdemeanor for refusing to help the police in an investigation. My guess is that there are a number of states with similar laws.

The problem I could see is that there are a lot of reasons why people don't act to help in cases like this. Sometimes they're afraid of retaliation, for example. There are also cases where victims have sued the good samaritans, or where a good samaritan becomes a person of interest for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm not saying that's the case here, and it's obviously a terrible situation for the girl involved. You would think at least one of the witnesses could have done something, even as simple as getting an administrator (as people have suggested). I think it gets tough, however, when you start trying to attach criminal penalties for people who don't help.

ETA: That's without getting into all the legal issues, and coming at it from a strict practical perspective.

yes

There is a difference between seeing something and walking away because you fear getting involved or in trouble and standing there and watching...and for over 2 hours. There is no excuse for this. None. We are losing our humanity.

Who is "we?"

Humans, in general, aren't losing our humanity. Someone called the police when they heard the boys recounting the incident. As for the boys, there have always been inhumane morons and there will always be inhumane morons.

One report raised the idea of the Genovese Syndrome as part of a possible reason why no one acted.

I don't buy it 100% as it's not a proven theory.

Morally speaking, WTF.

Legally speaking, I don't know all the facts, but I can't see anything indicating anyone had any sort of duty to act here. If you think about the ramifications of imposing a duty to act on any witness to a crime, you'll probably pretty quickly figure out that'd be a bad idea.

So, 'stop snitching' works here hmm?

Now...my question to you is, when you say 'duty to act', how do you define it?

I mean that if you are simply a witness to a crime, did nothing to encourage it, were not aware it was going to happen, don't have a special relationship with the victim, you are well within your rights to do absolutely nothing.

If I see some individual in the process of killing another and I can stop it, I also have the option to just stand there and watch it happen, keep on walking, etc.

As far as 'snitching' goes, no. If I'm questioned by police about a crime about which I have first hand knowledge, if I'm not incriminating myself, I'm compelled to answer their questions or I'm obstructing justice.

Soooooo what about people that get arrested for "failure to render aid?" Pretty sure you are REQUIRED to do something if you see someone who has been a victim of a crime.