Really? You wouldn't report a crime or help someone who was being attacked?

In neither of these stories, was anyone "being attacked."

And to say that a person who "observes a crime and does nothing to stop it or does not repoirt it" is "..just as guilty as the person committing the crime"...well that is really stupid.

And it is not true. An observer is not a criminal just for observing and doing nothing.

A drifter who hailed from the South and spent most of his adult life in and out of prison on a grab bag of felonies, including kidnapping and abduction, was arrested on Thursday and charged with the rape, beating and robbery of a 73-year-old woman in Central Park.
The suspect, David Albert Mitchell, 42, was nothing if not distinctive. His body was a canvas of dark, mythical tattoos: a grim reaper, dragons, Nordic warriors, castles and “some kind of deadly insect,” said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman. Other tattoos included twoteardrops under Mr. Mitchell’s left eye and one small teardrop below his right.

A drifter who hailed from the South and spent most of his adult life in and out of prison on a grab bag of felonies, including kidnapping and abduction, was arrested on Thursday and charged with the rape, beating and robbery of a 73-year-old woman in Central Park.
The suspect, David Albert Mitchell, 42, was nothing if not distinctive. His body was a canvas of dark, mythical tattoos: a grim reaper, dragons, Nordic warriors, castles and “some kind of deadly insect,” said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman. Other tattoos included twoteardrops under Mr. Mitchell’s left eye and one small teardrop below his right.

Just because no one was being attacked at that time doesn't mean anything. Jerking it in public is a crime and a warning sign the person is a sexually violent predator. He should be photographed and turned over to the police so he can be charged and at least monitored.

Yes they are, they are the reason ciminals always get away with their crimes and it is disgusting.

It is a CSS code, not a real "crime." A crime, in the real (non corporate) world requires a victim.

What you decide is "disgusting" is your personal opinion.

If an observer who does not get involved or try to stop a crime, is also a "criminal" then GOD IS A CRIMINAL.

They pay and train people to stop crimes... they are called police.

Now it turns out this guy is a suspect in a 2002 killing! She should have gone to the police with the photo she took of him prior to the attack.

Anyone who witnessed the action is a VICTIM and clearly there were witnesses!

Yes, she should have. Especially if she was stupid enough to take the picture, then stupid enough to refuse to delete it. What was she going to do with it if she did not intend to take it to the police? Put it up on youtube or frame it?

stupid.

The police can't be everywhere at once and over 95% of the time the police are dealing with the situation after the incident has happened and never arrive when it is happening. That is why there are powers of citizen's and private persons arrest, private police forces, deputizing citizens, summons training citizens, good samaritan laws etc.

Who ar eyou to say god doesn't do anything about it? That is a discussion for another thread.

Now observers and witnesses are victims!

Hell yes they are and as such should have reported the CRIME.

You can be both a victim and a witness.

So according to you logic, an observer who does not get involved and try to prevent or report the crime is also a criminal, and now you are saying that observers and witnesses are victims.

So if a crime goes down and you see it, and do nothing you are both a criminal and a victim.

How silly.

The truth is, an observer is not under any responsibility at all, legal or otherwise, to report or get involved in stopping a crime, especially if it might put them at risk.

That is what makes this a free country. We are allowed to mind our own business and observe things without being classified a "victim" or a "criminal."

You can twist this how ever you want.

A Decent\Good person will get involved or do something about it.

A Bad person will just ignore it and let the criminal go harm someone else.