Gary Newlove was murdered by a or some drunken youths in Warrington in August 2007. Under a law nearly 300 years old called "Joint Enterprise" three individuals were convicted. The judicial system would see this as a success story. However, to be told this is disheartening when considering Mr Newlove was set upon with a crowd of approximately 15 youths around him. What would of been a success story, would of been if every one of those youths had received some form of prosecution.
In other countries there is something called the "Good Samaritan Law,"(Canada) which makes a witness to an event responsible to intervene and prevent it from happening if they can. This sounds a bit similar to the Christian belief of "sin by omission." In France they have a law called "non-assistance à personne en danger" (deliberately failing to provide assistance to a person in danger). Whilst in Germany the obligation is put in "Unterlas Hilfeleistung" (neglect to provide assistance) is an offence. Therefore in the UK it is a travesty no such or similar law is present. It is not even an offence to make a phone call to the emergency services if you witness criminal behaviour.
So yes, it is a shame a 300 year old law has to be used because there isn't one more appropriate and more modern day which makes every witness or participant in some way responsible. So three prosecutions when there should of been at least fifteen is yet another tragic story.
