To think people should be prosecuted for filming scenes of serious accidents?

[TrueBlu]

I've just been reading about a pregnant woman who was stabbed today, apparently lots of people stood around afterwards filming and taking pictures.

Now I'm in two minds about this, if it's being filmed I order to help police with their enquiries then fine. But if, as I suspect, it's some voyeuristic thing, then I think it should be an offence.

[comedycentral]

It's horrible, I am not sure how I would feel if I was filmed in this way.

[PunkrockerGirl]

YANBU.
People were filming the victims trapped inside the ride in the Alton Towers accident last year. They were asked to stop by both the emergency services who were trying to cut them out and the victims themselves, but carried on filming regardless.
The should be prosecuted, imo. Just horrible

[justkeepongoing]

Luckily one of my husband's biker mates took pictures after he was nearly killed by an American tourist a couple of years ago. The air ambulance came and luckily medics saved his life. The rest of the group felt it insensitive that he was taking pictures but they have now proved valuable as evidence. My thoughts remain with the poor women and her family.

[Justanotherlurker]

It's in bad taste for sure, but I think asking for prosecution is a tad over the top and a potential slippery slope.

[justkeepongoing]

Yes I do agree Arfarf

[Queazy]

My god - taking pictures for kicks? That's horrendous. YANBU.

[icelollycraving]

At the Shoreham air show disaster last year,there was a particular person apparently filming people in agony/dying etc. Have we become so desensitised to others pain and misery? Depressing & horrifying.

[Justanotherlurker]

I agree Arf, however I still stand by my assertion that asking for prosecution is a little over the top and is a slippery slope argument.

Some people film everything and share online, I personally don't think everyone filming these specific instances are devoid of humanity, more that it has become a norm to share anything, asking for prosecution is hysterical IMO

[Buckinbronco]

Hmmm. It's horrible and often in bad taste but an offence of what? I don't see what you would prosecute people for and it sounds like a slippery slope.

[jaykay34]

It seems to be an immediate reaction of some people. And scarily, a sign of the times.

My 12 year old son had an accident last year at the park which he has no recollection of as he was knocked unconscious. His friends' immediate reaction was to film him lying on the floor whilst one of them tried to look for a pulse. Another tried to play YouTube videos of his favourite music to wake him up. None of them thought to try and call an ambulance, or me - despite them all having phones in their hands.
An older boy came over and had a right go at them and then talked them through how to get help for my son.

I know all this about the immediate aftermath, because I saw the films on Instagram .

Thankfully my son was ok.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

If it can't be prosecuted (I think it should be), then the perpetrators should be completely shunned and taught that this is not decent behaviour. It's beyond despicable.

Agree with Arfarfanarf, pictures for evidence is one thing but the luscious revelling in someone else's tragedy is just too much.

[Dolly80]

I just can't imagine being confronted with such a scene and thinking to myself 'oh I must film this' People obviously do but it baffles me.

Restored my faith in humanity somewhat that 5 men reportedly went to her aide (with 2 sustaining hand injuries in the course of doing so). Horrible incident for the woman.

[fakenamefornow]

If I was caught in the middle of a crime scene I would try my best to film everything I could. Accidents, I would possibility film/photograph if there was nothing else useful I could do to help and emergency services weren't there yet, just to record the scene, not close-ups of people in agony. I'm thinking road accidents as well, not somebody having an epileptic fit in the street. If the authorities then didn't want the video, I'd delete it. What I would NEVER do is then upload it to YouTube.

I do agree though about prosecuting unwanted film makers though and I think this has happened. Maybe social pressure and disapproval is the better way to go though.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

lascivious not luscious... :(

[Buckinbronco]

There are some horrible examples here, but take the Alton towers one- the police would've been there- why didn't they move people on? That's what they do, they don't let people ogle scenes, camera phone or not. Same for shore ham. I'm not saying plenty won't slip through the net, but claiming that victims stuck in a rollarcoaster and paramedics treating them had to beg people to
Give them some space and stop filming- it sounds a bit unlikely tbh

[NameAgeLocation]

On the plus side, I read that 5 people got involved to try to stop the attacker.

[LifeofI]

It depends because it can be used as evidence, I have seen however people filming fights and laughing like one of a girl holding a child and another girl beating her whilst the camera man laughed.

[TheGreatSnafu]

A few months ago I was stuck in a traffic jam and the drivers in the 2 cars in front of me had a road rage incident and both got out of their cars. I thought they were just going to yell at each other but then one started pushing the other in the chest.

I couldn't have been more than 5 feet away sitting in my car and I got my phone to video them in case something serious happened and my friend yelled at me to stop.

I thought videoing was the right thing to do. No way I would have got out of the car and no one else got out of their car either. But surely having a video would be good? What if one had seriously injured the other?

As it was neither of them could throw a punch which was a good thing as they both went away unscathed.

It was central London so probably caught on several CCTVs anyway.

Afterward my friend was adamant that she was right that u shouldn't video. I am still unsure.

[FigMango1]

How on earth would this be managed. Go through people's phones to view the videos? And if there are hundreds of people? It's horrible but hey that's how things are these days.

[Devilishpyjamas]

Film can be useful - but not to load to fucking YouTube to share.

I was asked to film my son's seizures to help with diagnosis. It felt a very odd thing to do but the medics were delighted.

[limitedperiodonly]

What would you charge them with? Would press photographers face the same charge? Are there any circumstances where you would permit the taking of photographs of distressing scenes?

These are pictures I think should have been taken. I am hiding them under links in case anyone doesn't want to see them. They are very distressing.

Priest blesses one of the two British soldiers murdered when blundering into an IRA funeral in Belfast

Kim Phuc running naked after being burned by napalm in Vietnam

Vulture watches starving child in war torn Sudan

That last link gives the story of the photo. But in case you don't want to see it, the image, taken in 1993, highlighted the plight of refugees of war in Sudan. The photographer, Kevin Carter, chased the vulture away after taking his shot. He made attempts to get the child, one of hundreds, help. The fate of the child is unknown. Carter killed himself three months later.

I don't like the idea of rubberneckers, but as long as they don't interfere with attempts at rescue they have to be allowed. It really isn't as simple as saying: 'I don't like it.'

[ScarletForYa]

Yanbu. People who do this are the lowest of the low.