What are the limits of our obligations as members of society? Should we intervene when we witness a violent crime taking place? Do those of us with large families to support get a free pass? Or should we disregard our personal circumstances and simply apply the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would be done by? Most of us like to think we would do the right thing, but few of us know how we would actually react in a situation like this. It is a test none of us wish to take.
A couple of months ago, I was watching Newsnight in the sitting-room of my house in Shepherd’s Bush when I heard what sounded like a cry for help just outside the window. I opened the blind and there it was — the ultimate test. Two large black youths appeared to be sexually assaulting a middle-aged white woman in the middle of the street.
I immediately closed the blind, hoping they had not spotted me. What if they kill her and then feel obliged to dispose of the only witness? Then I thought: hang on a minute. If they are about to kill her, and I am currently in a position to prevent it, will I be able to live with myself if I stand by and do nothing? I have to do something.
I ran to the front door and opened it. My eyes hadn’t deceived me. Two young men were indeed attacking a middle-aged woman. To my immense relief, I noticed that my neighbour — an elderly, working-class woman — had also opened her door and was accompanied by her two grown-up sons. They were huge, much bigger than me. If I was going to have to intervene, at least I would not be alone.
As soon as the woman saw us, she reached out her hands and let out a plaintive cry: ‘Help me, please. They’re going to kill me.’
I turned to my neighbours: ‘Come on, let’s help her.’
‘Nah, mate,’ said the taller of the two men. ‘Best not to get involved. One of ’em could ’ave a knife.’
He was right, of course, but at this point I had already decided to do something: I had made the decision when I had opened my front door. In any case, I thought, if the two youths turn on me, then my neighbours will be forced to ‘get involved’ whether they feel inclined to or not.
‘What the hell’s going on,’ I shouted, stepping out into the street.
‘She robbed me of ten pound,’ said one of the two youths, holding the woman by the wrist.
‘Yeah,’ said the other. ‘She took ten pound off ’im and stuck it down ’er bra.’
‘No I never,’ screamed the woman. ‘You’re a f***in’ liar.’
At this point, she took advantage of the distraction to break free. I hoped she would run off down the street, but instead she darted behind me and clung to my back.
‘Please,’ she said, ‘don’t let them do nothin’.’
The two youths stood in the road, sizing me up. At first, I had assumed they were lying about the ten pounds, but now that I could see them more clearly they looked quite respectable. And had they been sexually assaulting her? Or merely trying to force their hands into her bra to get back what they claimed was their money? The woman, on the other hand, was not at all respectable. She was drunk and smelt of urine.
‘So this is all over ten pounds,’ I said.
‘Yeah,’ said the first boy.
‘OK then, if I just give you ten pounds, will you leave her alone?’
At this point, I heard a snort of derision from one of my neighbours. They clearly thought this was incredibly wet of me.
‘Yeah, I s’pose,’ said the youth.
I put my hand in my pocket, but I did not have anything smaller than a 20.
‘Er, you don’t have any change, do you?’ I said, holding up a note.
‘Get it off ’er,’ said the youth, snatching the 20 out of my hand.
‘F*** off,’ said the woman.
As the two youths disappeared round the corner, I heard my neighbour’s door slam shut: more derision. I was all alone with the woman.
‘What d’you go and do a thing like that for?’ she asked. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, she added: ‘Can I ’ave 20 pound, too?’
‘Certainly not,’ I said, and went back into my house.
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