Bystander Success Story, Brooklyn, December 2019

Frequently, bystanders have success in seeing justice done without personal risk. Here’s a video, and here’s a link to the story. Muslim teen in Brooklyn helps police catch man who attacked Orthodox Jewish woman on subway

The chain of events

On the Q train in Brooklyn, a man suddenly punched a woman dressed in Orthodox Jewish style. He then left the train.

The active bystander followed him. The bystander was a Muslim teenager. He knew what happened was wrong and was moved to act.

The teenager followed the assailant out of the station.

Another active bystander, an Orthodox man, gave the teenager a ride to follow the assailant.

The assailant boarded a bus. The police were notified, so that they could arrest him.

What went right

The active bystanders kept their distance, but also kept track of the assailant, so that he could be arrested, with witnesses.

The bystanders worked together, regardless of the cultural differences between them.

The teenager did not put himself in danger. He did not consciously notice that the assailant was considerably bigger. However, he had the presence of mind not to confront the assailant in a way that could have resulted in further violence.

The things I don’t know from this report

Did the woman who was assaulted receive help, on the spot, from strangers?

Has that woman gotten effective aftercare to mitigate the trauma of being punched, suddenly, while traveling on a train?