Originally Posted by elliecat:
“I'm surprised no one stopped to help, he was in Soho and there would have been police about, there always are when pubs and clubs close and other clubbers would have stopped not everyone is heartless or scared. I know we would have and have done in the past. He was hardly out in the sticks he was in central London. We come back from London at all sorts of times of night and the place is crawlng with police in vans and cars(this is Islington, Kings Cross, Euston areas). When we used to go clubbing we drove through places like Smithfields and always saw police near Fabric.
I think it's really sad that people can and do walk past someone who is being beaten up or who has obviously been beaten up. It's a sad state and I would hope that they never need any help from passers by.”
“I'm surprised no one stopped to help, he was in Soho and there would have been police about, there always are when pubs and clubs close and other clubbers would have stopped not everyone is heartless or scared. I know we would have and have done in the past. He was hardly out in the sticks he was in central London. We come back from London at all sorts of times of night and the place is crawlng with police in vans and cars(this is Islington, Kings Cross, Euston areas). When we used to go clubbing we drove through places like Smithfields and always saw police near Fabric.
I think it's really sad that people can and do walk past someone who is being beaten up or who has obviously been beaten up. It's a sad state and I would hope that they never need any help from passers by.”
It's really not heartlessness, it is just being aware of the potential danger to yourself.
I worked in Soho every day for nigh in 15 years and would often be going home very late at night or early hours of the morning and it isn't always that busy.
I have actually called the Police when i've seen incidents happening but no, if I was on my own getting back to a station, I wouldn't go steaming in by myself - especially in that area of London and if it was a man in case it was a ruse. I have stopped to help other women who were obviously drunk or distressed when they were on their own, I've even given them money and put them in cabs so i don't consider myself heartless, just aware of potential danger.
Also, there really are a lot of people in doorways and a homeless person wouldn't actually appreciate somebody going over, shaking them etc. We don't know how Ben was lying, it might not have been obvious that he'd been beaten up if his back was to the street.
What is perhaps more surprising is that he wasn't seen by any police (who do tend to be around at Club kicking out time) when he was looking for Paul as he said that happened before he passed out.
