Quote:
Originally Posted by DaemonSeid
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?
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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.
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