Facebook rape stirs questions about witnessing crimes online
CHICAGO — The case of a 15-year-old Chicago girl who authorities say was raped while around 40 people watched on Facebook raises questions that have come up before in other attacks: What’s the obligation of bystanders who see a crime unfolding? And why do they not intervene?
None of those who watched the sexual assault involving five or six men or boys called police. The girl knows at least one of her attackers, and investigators reported making good progress toward identifying the others. A closer look at what laws in the United States say about people who witness crimes:
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THE LAW IN GENERAL