This is a quote from West Contra Costa Unified School District spokesman Marin Trujillo, in regards to the gang rape that occurred on school grounds after a homecoming dance.
I actually felt chilled as I read this account -- gang rape of anyone, let alone a teenage girl after her homecoming dance is beyond words. So what words do we use to describe the gang rape of a girl with multiple bystanders watching, snapping photos and not lifting a finger (let alone a cell phone) to help?
We've discussed getting "involved" on this blog quite a bit. I think most of us are similar in the sense that we want to make the right choices in life, both for our own sake as well as for others, but often are unsure when it's the right time to step in if it doesn't directly involve us. I couldn't even bring myself to interject my opinion in a verbal scuffle between a passenger and airport shuttle driver.
But this--to know that there were children watching this horror show and doing nothing more than snapping pictures completely blows my mind. It's possible I've lowered my standards, but I wouldn't even expect anyone to try to stop the brutality -- I simply would expect them to call the police.
According to KGO-TV in San Francisco, the police were informed only after someone not at the scene overheard people talking about the incident called and reported it.
As I said, we've discussed the question of when to get involved several times here -- mostly regarding smaller, seemingly petty incidents. However, it seems to me that questioning these so-called inconsequential interactions prepare us to take a much more important step when the results aren't so inconsequential, when it truly is a simple matter of right and wrong, black and white.
At the moment, it doesn't look like the supposedly "innocent" bystanders will by charged with anything; do you think they should be?
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So if indeed anyone took pictures or video of this event, couldn't they be charged with child pornography? But i have herd from many sources that for the most part they can not be charged with anything. It is a shame, I understand the purpose behind laws to protect bystanders by at the same time doesn't the victim have the right for one of them to be a decent human being.
they should identify everyone who watched, took pictures and did nothng, line them and the rapists up and shoot them today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can the bystanders be charged with anything? Well, yes, if they took pictures on their cell phones, that's probably possession of child porn, and if they transmitted it, it's certainly purveying child porn.I normally don't much like those laws, or any other kinds of possessory crimes associated with media content, but this time, I figure those charges couldn't happen to nicer people.
"Failure to render assistance" is, in fact, a crime in some jurisdictions.
In my personal opinion, the bystanders are just as bad as the boys who raped her, particularly the ones that took pictures. That is just disgusting, and I agree with Dale. I pray to god that karma of the most potent force comes back to get every single one of those filthy pieces of sh*t!
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