Narrative that bystanders filmed Philadelphia train rape for ‘gratification’ is false: official
Global News
No bystanders filmed a rape on a Philadelphia train last week for "gratification," officials said Thursday as they pleaded for witnesses to come forward.
The narrative that passengers watched a man rape a woman on a train in suburban Philadelphia last week and “filmed it for their own gratification instead of calling the police” is false, the prosecutor handling the case said Thursday as he asked witnesses to come forward.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said during a news conference that the other passengers on the train were not present for the entire 40-minute interaction on Oct. 13 and may not have understood what they were seeing.
“People get off and on at every single stop,” Stollsteimer said. “That doesn’t mean when they get on and they see people interacting that they know a rape is occurring.”
Stollsteimer’s recount of surveillance video and plea to witnesses came after days of authorities saying multiple passengers were present for the assault, with some appearing to hold their phones in the direction of the attack as police allege 35-year-old Fiston Ngoy raped the woman in a train seat.
Police and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officials initially expressed dismay that passengers did not call 911 or report the attack, even if they didn’t understand the seriousness of what was happening.
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told reporters over the weekend there were passengers present who “should have done something,” in his opinion.
Nevertheless, Stollsteimer said Thursday “the narrative that there is a group of people callously filming and didn’t act, is simply not true.” He added that witnesses of the attack could share information without fear of being charged.
He said Wednesday that Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of someone for simply witnessing a crime.
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