Toddler left dying after hit and run..

[Trifoilum]

..prompts soul searching in China.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/17/toddler-hit-and-run-china

The van driver stops for a moment, presumably realising in horror that he has just hit a toddler. Then he drives on – crushing her again beneath his rear wheels.

What follows is arguably even more horrifying: a dozen passersby ignore two-year-old Yueyue as she lies in agony in a busy market in southern China. Several glance at her bloodied body before continuing, while others walk or wheel around it.
Their apparent indifference means that she is hit again, by a truck. Surveillance camera footage from the busy wholesale market in Foshan, Guangdong, shows that it takes seven minutes before a woman finally stops to help.
The young girl's fate has prompted horrified soul searching in China since the images were aired on a local television station. The footage has been watched more than 1.5m times on the popular Youku video sharing site.
Shanghai Daily reported that the little girl had died of her injuries in hospital after the collision on Thursday, but other state media including the news agency Xinhua said she remained in a deep coma.

A doctor surnamed Peng told China Daily that medics had declared her braindead on Sunday and she could die at any time. He said at best she would remain in a vegetative state on life support.
The widespread reluctance to help strangers has already led to an anguished public debate in the country. Many say they are too scared, blaming extortion attempts by people who have accused Good Samaritans of causing their injuries – and judges who have backed such claims. But some talked of a new moral low after seeing passersby – including a woman holding a small girl by the hand – walk around a two-year-old lying in a pool of blood.

China Daily claimed that the woman who stopped, a rubbish collector, was even told by shopkeepers to mind her own business when she tried to find out the child's identity.

Many internet users expressed fury, describing those who ignored Yueyue as less than human. "Where did conscience go … What has happened to the Chinese people?" wrote one, Reissent1987.

Several pointed out that it was a rubbish collector – among the poorest and often worst-educated members of society – who stopped to help, while others carried on.
But some said that people should ask themselves how willing they would have been to help before criticising.
One said that while the footage was heartbreaking he would have been "numb" to Yueyue too. "Would you be willing to throw your entire family's savings into the endless whirlpool of accident compensation? Aren't you afraid of being put into jail as the perpetrator? Have you ever considered that your whole family could lose happiness only because you wanted to be a great soul?" he wrote.
Chinese media said the two drivers who had hit Yueyue were now in police custody.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/22/china-nation-cold-hearts?fb=optOut >> another article talking about it.
And more:

But, astonishingly, a large percentage of posters said they understood why the onlookers did not lend a helping hand. Some admitted they would do the same – for fear of getting into trouble and fear of facing another "Nanjing judge".Let me explain the story of the muddle-headed Nanjing judge. In 2006, in the capital of Jiangsu province, a young man named Peng Yu helped an old woman who had fallen on the street and took her to a hospital and waited to see if the old woman was all right. Later, however, the woman and her family accused Peng of causing her fall. A judge decided in favour of the woman, based on the assumption that "Peng must be at fault. Otherwise why would he want to help?", saying that Peng acted against "common sense". The outcry from the public in support of Peng forced the court to adjust its verdict and resulted in Peng paying 10% of the costs instead of the total. Since that incident Peng has become a national cautionary tale: the Good Samaritan being framed by the beneficiary of their compassion.
It's true that in China you can get into trouble when you try to help. Weeks ago I spotted an accident on the fourth ring road in Beijing as I returned home one night. A man was hit by a "black car", an "illegal taxi", and his face was all bloody. Watched over by a crowd, the injured man behaved aggressively towards the driver. I got off my scooter. As I tried to pull the two men apart, I was struck myself. When I asked if anyone had reported this to the police, the driver said no. I couldn't believe that people just stared as if enjoying a free show, without doing anything. I called the helpline and the policemen turned up soon after.
The fundamental problem, in my view, lies in one word that describes a state of mind: shaoguanxianshi, meaning don't get involved if it's not your business. In our culture, there's a lack of willingness to show compassion to strangers. We are brought up to show kindness to people in our network of guanxi, family and friends and business associates, but not particularly to strangers, especially if such kindness may potentially damage your interest.

And it's only them Once a man attempting to suicide is pushed instead of pulled by a bystander, because he's disturbing the traffic, so jump if you want to jump.

Allow me to add a personal comment.

Yes, it's hard to generalize an entire nation and its people (1,4 billion) for the actions of eighteen. God knows a lot of compassion and sympathy exists in the heart of the Chinese people. Yes, that problem of 'the helper becomes burdened' exists in several ways.

the driver of the second vehicle, a van, told the media why he had run away. "If she is dead, I may pay only about 20,000 yuan (

 

[bickelz]

If something were to happen like this in the US, people would have at least stopped and probably would have been freaking out. I don't understand why nobody cared that a baby was run over.

 

[Matariki]

Reality is harsh thing. You'd be amazed by the amount of people that walk past or just stand there and watch.

 

[Sriracha]

Ugh, I cannot understand. Just thinking about about what happened can drive me to tears. Poor child. Where the hell were her parents or guardians?

 

[Sriracha]

If something were to happen like this in the US, people would have at least stopped and probably would have been freaking out. I don't understand why nobody cared that a baby was run over.

More than several would have stopped and I would bet at least one person wouldn't be afraid to hold/comfort her either.

 

[Peace]

I watched the video. It was quite astonishing. Another perfect example of the Bystander Effect.

 

[Trifoilum]

Ugh, I cannot understand. Just thinking about about what happened can drive me to tears. Poor child. Where the hell were her parents or guardians?

From the second article :

She said she had just brought Yueyue back from her kindergarten. She popped out to collect the dry clothes and returned to find Yueyue gone – probably trying to look for her elder brother.

I don't know if that's an excuse or poor mistake, but--

 

[Sriracha]

From the second article :
I don't know if that's an excuse or poor mistake, but--

Sigh, it's both. Two year-olds need eyes on them at all times in public. If they are prone to getting out of the house, more steps have to be taken to insure their safety. Still ... even though it was accidental, I cannot imagine the mother's anguish. That is, if she is not also apathetic.

 

[bickelz]

Sigh, it's both. Two year-olds need eyes on them at all times in public. If they are prone to getting out of the house, more steps have to be taken to insure their safety. Still ... even though it was accidental, I cannot imagine the mother's anguish. That is, if she is not also apathetic.

When I was really young (2 or 3), we moved to a house on main street. When my mom and dad were unpacking, they both thought the other was watching me so I was able to cross the street without them knowing.

So yeah, don't stop watching a two year old i guess because they will take off on you.

 

[894tt3h9]

Maybe it's awful for me to say this but perhaps they also didn't care to help because it was a little girl and not a little boy. I might be ignorant on the issue but it seems that female children are less valued/desired than male ones.

I don't get disturbed by this. Something about it doesn't really strike me at the heart. I think at best I would have called an ambulance or the police but I would not personally involve myself beyond that. I don't want to see people hurt or dying but I would rather stay out of it.

 

[grt$5vb]

Where were the parents, and when did money become more important than people!? Would you want your little child to die alone with no one to hold her??!! Bystanders you are FIRED!

 

[MissionHouse]

I've thought about what I would do if I had been there, and my honest answer to myself is that I know I would have helped her as much as I possibly could. It's sickening what happened there. I'm glad I don't live there.

 

[Trifoilum]

Maybe it's awful for me to say this but perhaps they also didn't care to help because it was a little girl and not a little boy. I might be ignorant on the issue but it seems that female children are less valued/desired than male ones.

Which, if true, makes it all more disturbing.....no?

I don't get disturbed by this. Something about it doesn't really strike me at the heart. I think at best I would have called an ambulance or the police but I would not personally involve myself beyond that. I don't want to see people hurt or dying but I would rather stay out of it.

/nod

 

[acd]

I think Westerners would have reacted differently because being 'heroic' is something people aspire to here.
I think that if this had happened in the west, people would have called 911 or emergency services and stayed with the girl at least.
I can't say I understand why all those people acted as if she were common roadkill.
I would have lost it if I had seen that. I'd have either been vomiting all over myself or holding her, hysterical in the street. I'd probably be doing both, actually.

 

[Peppermint]

http://chinashmina.com/nanjing-judge-case-good-samaritans-china-146

 

[subwayrider]

If something were to happen like this in the US, people would have at least stopped and probably would have been freaking out. I don't understand why nobody cared that a baby was run over.

We would like to think that in a free democracy like the United States, that something like that wouldn't happen.

There's a social phenomenon known as the "bystander effect." The most infamous example occurred here in the States. It involved a rapist/murderer and a woman named Kitty Genovese.

From wikipedia.org

The bystander effect or Genovese syndrome is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. The probability of help has in the past been thought to be inversely related to the number of bystanders; in other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. The mere presence of other bystanders greatly decreases intervention. This happens because as the number of bystanders increases, any given bystander is less likely to notice the incident, less likely to interpret the incident as a problem, and less likely to assume responsibility for taking action.[1]

The events of Ms. Genovese are subject to dispute. Certain accounts suggest that Ms. Genovese's cries for help were heard and ignored by numerous residents at the apartment. Other accounts, as detailed below, suggest that residents did not hear her pleas and/or did provide assistance. What exactly happened is unknown.

Genovese had driven home from her job working as a bar manager early in the morning of March 13, 1964. Arriving home at about 3:15 a.m. she parked in the Long Island Rail Road parking lot about 100 feet (30 m) from her apartment's door, located in an alley way at the rear of the building. As she walked towards the building she was approached by Winston Moseley.[2] Frightened, Genovese began to run across the parking lot and towards the front of her building located on Austin Street trying to make it up to the corner towards the major thoroughfare of Lefferts Boulevard. However, Moseley, who ran after her, quickly overtook her and stabbed her twice in the back. Genovese screamed, "Oh my God, he stabbed me! Help me!" Her cry was heard by several neighbors but, on a cold night with the windows closed, only a few of them recognized the sound as a cry for help. When Robert Mozer, one of the neighbors, shouted at the attacker, "Let that girl alone!" Moseley ran away and Genovese slowly made her way toward the rear entrance of her apartment building.[9] She was seriously injured, but now out of view of those few who may have had reason to believe she was in need of help.

Records of the earliest calls to police are unclear and were certainly not given a high priority by the police. One witness said his father called police after the initial attack and reported that a woman was "beat up, but got up and was staggering around."[10]

Other witnesses observed Moseley enter his car and drove away only to return ten minutes later. In his car, he changed to a wide-brimmed hat to shadow his face. He systematically searched the parking lot, train station, and an apartment complex. Eventually, he found Genovese who was lying, barely conscious, in a hallway at the back of the building where a locked doorway had prevented her from entering the building.[11] Out of view of the street and of those who may have heard or seen any sign of the original attack, he proceeded to further attack her, stabbing her several more times. Knife wounds in her hands suggested that she attempted to defend herself from him. While she lay dying, he raped her. He stole about $49 from her and left her in the hallway. The attacks spanned approximately half an hour.

A few minutes after the final attack a witness, Karl Ross, called the police. Police arrived within minutes of Ross' call. Genovese was taken away by ambulance at 4:15 am and died en route to the hospital. Later investigation by police and prosecutors revealed that approximately a dozen (but almost certainly not the 38 cited in the Times article) individuals nearby had heard or observed portions of the attack, though none saw or were aware of the entire incident.[4] Only one witness, Joseph Fink, was aware she was stabbed in the first attack, and only Karl Ross was aware of it in the second attack. Many were entirely unaware that an assault or homicide was in progress; some thought that what they saw or heard was a lovers' quarrel or a drunken brawl or a group of friends leaving the bar when Moseley first approached Genovese.

 

[subwayrider]

[MENTION=564]acd[/MENTION]

Not necessarily. The bystander effect is quite common in the western world, as it is in the East.

From wikipedia.org

In June 2000 following a parade (The Puerto Rican Day parade) alongside New York’s Central Park which more than a million locals and tourists had attended, a pack of alcohol-fueled men became sexually aggressive. They began to grope and strip nearly 60 women. At least two victims approached nearby police who did nothing to help them. Nobody dialed 911 or offered assistance.[1]

On June 16, 2008, on a country road outside Turlock, California, friends, family and strangers, including a volunteer fire chief, stood by as Sergio Aguiar methodically stomped his two-year-old son Axel Casian to death, explaining in a calm voice that he "had to get the demons out" of the boy. He stopped at one point to turn on the hazard lights on his truck. No one moved to take the child or attack Aguiar. Witnesses said they were all afraid to intervene because Aguiar "might have something in his pocket", although some people looked for rocks or boards hoping to find something to subdue him. The fire chief's fiancee called 911.[18] Police officer Jerry Ramar arrived by helicopter and told Aguiar to stop. Aguiar gave Ramar the finger and Ramar shot him in the head.[19][20] Police officers and psychologists later explained that the inaction of the crowd was justified in that "ordinary people aren't going to tackle a psychotic," that they were not "psychologically prepared" to intervene, and that being frozen in indecision and fear is a normal reaction.[18]

In June 2008 a woman collapsed in a Brooklyn hospital waiting room, but was ignored by other people present in the room and two security guards. People tried to help her only after an hour had passed. The woman died.[21]

In April 2010 Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax was stabbed to death in New York City after coming to the aid of a woman who was being attacked by a robber. Yax was on the sidewalk for more than an hour before firefighters arrived. Almost twenty-five people walked by while he lay dying on a sidewalk in Queens, several stared at Yax, one of them took pictures, however none of them helped or called emergency services.[22][23]

[video=youtube;tGaJrgi_SpE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGaJrgi_SpE[/video]

 

[Feelings]

Weeeeeelllllll don't get your panties in a knot because people are being selfish. Don't you INFJs know that already? Obviously if someone is at risk to being blamed and found liable to have caused the injuries that they're trying to help someone with, they're going to be very reluctant to help out. Would it be ideal if people were altruistic towards each other? Sure. But how is this actually a surprise to anyone here that people aren't like that.

Chinese culture is actually very reclusive compared to Western culture. I am Chinese, and I live in an area that's very multi-cultural. I was Canadian born, so I find the attitudes and behaviors of people who are more influenced by traditional Chinese culture to be odd. They always seem to want to just keep to themselves and mind their own business. They don't like getting involved with anything for fear that they'll get in trouble, or inconvenience themselves in some way. I think a lot of that is from what's been programmed into them from living in China. It's like, you say the wrong thing and you're gonna be fucked. No real freedom of speech over there. People are just scared to get involved with anything. Afraid to speak up. If you live in Canada, or the United States, you have the luxury of criticizing that. But you're taking certain freedoms that you've always had for granted, in doing so.

 

[Feelings]

Now I feel like a jerk face for being abrasive. But still, WTF man. I don't see what the shock or surprise is, after the explanation for why people behaved the way they did.

 

[Bird]

I think that OTL brings up a good point: cultural differences.

As horrible as we think this is, we have to try to understand
why those people reacted the way they did.

The man that originally hit the girl should have been paying
attention or perhaps the girl's parents should have held her
hand. What I don't understand is how her parents aren't
being held accountable for any of the harm caused to their
daughter. A two year old should never be allowed outside
on their own. Definitely not near traffic. And she had to
have been out on her own because what parent ignores
their child bleeding to death? Most don't even let their
child use unsafety scissors.