An 81 year old woman died after being mugged on the streets of Harrow, a tragedy in its own right. But what makes it worse is that it was ten minutes before anyone answered her cries for help, passers-by just ignoring her as she lay on the pavement.
Some apparently refused to help because they thought she was drunk, despite being well-dressed and calling for help after suffering head injuries, multiple fractures to the side of the face and a broken arm in the assault.
It would have been a simple task for any of the passers-by to ascertain whether or not it was a case of drunkenness. But so what if it had been someone who had been drinking, surely anyone in such obvious suffering deserves help. At least someone could have used their mobile to summon assistance, almost everyone has a mobile these days.
One can quite understand a reluctance, in today’s society, to intervene on behalf of a victim of a crime at the time the crime is occurring, as you are quite likely to be the one who is arrested and end up paying compensation to the criminal.
One can quite understand a reluctance, in today’s society, of going to the aid of a small child who has perhaps fallen in the street, as you are quite likely to be arrested and branded for life as a paedophile.
But to totally ignore someone lying in the street, obviously injured for whatever reason, and not even to make a simple call for help…..
As for those who actually attack an elderly person in the street….