I'm really struggling
 

with the crowd that watched that girl getting raped for 2.5 hours at a school dance in California. Because she is over 14 they can not be charged???? WTF???? They say more than 20 were witnesses. I'm just overcome about it all.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/28...tion/index.html

Whatever happend to "aiding and abetting" as a charge?

WTF...what they mean they cant be bloodywell charged! They are just as guilty as the actual rapists as far as i'm concerned..

I ask you....WHO could stand by and watch someone get raped....certainly no normal person!

Can't they just be strung up by their balls instead? THEN charged, and held in a State Pen shower block for a couple of weeks...........

Yet another intractable ethical problem.

It's just confirming the lack of consequence.

Just a thought, all those "witnesses" should be called up to bear witness against the actual rapists. Because they are not on trial, they can be named and shamed.

Definitely there needs to be punishment for their behavior. :mad:

That seems reasonable. Just because their behavior was not illegal does not mean that there need be no retribution.

Yeah, but in order to find someone guilty of something like aiding and abetting, or being party to a crime as an accessory, one has to prove to a jury that person X actually saw Y happen, and did nothing about it. There may have been "as many as 10 witnesses" who stood by and refused to call 911, but which of the hundreds of people from the potential witness pool were those 10?

Witch hunt, anyone?

The whole thing is disgusting, but other than the people who participated, and can be proven to have been involved, there doesn't seem to be anything actually prosecutable here.

I know in Tennessee there is a standing law that if you go to someone's house and notice a body on the floor you can be arrested for NOT breaking in and trying to revive them. Even if you know from sight there's no use. They don't really care if you contaminate the crime scene or not if you're the first one there and a civilian.

Is this a point where a civil suit for damages against those who failed to render assistance (of the positive kind) may be more productive?

I have a personal issue with the use of civil action if a criminal action fails, but this seems a righter (more right, better, more appropriate) time to use it.

I'm with you Lilith and can't really wrap my head around those people that stood there watching and did nothing to stop what was happening to that poor girl. Pure evil is all I can think of.

I'm waiting to hear about someone getting it on their cell phone.

Ugh! I wouldn't be surprised.

That's disgusting.