I am not AT ALL surprised no one cared to help this child locked in a shed

[TwixVoy]

There are LOTS of fucking cowards out there. We are to believe none of the neighbors knew or suspected? Bull shit.

Some may remember a post I made several months ago about an incident at my former work place where I was a manager.

We had a young cashier who disappeared from work one day. We all had SERIOUS reason to believe her husband was keeping her locked in her house, only allowed her out when permitted, and was abusing her physically. (this was based on things she had told us, and the fact her husband had come to work extremely upset with her) No one could reach her, and her friend at work thought that something was wrong.

I talked to SEVERAL levels of management above me about these concerns because we were the ONLY ones aware of them. I was told by a senior HR person - I swear to god this is an exact quote I will always remember - "Well this is America and it's sad he's doing this to her. I mean you wouldn't think this would happen here. But we should just pretend we don't know about it"

I even went to our fucking asset protection team that has REGULAR contact with the police and asked them to at least alert the police of what we knew so they could check on her. What was the response I got from a senior asset protection manager? "Oh no I am sure if she needs help she'll find a way out". WTF?

So I said fuck it and went over to her house to check on her my self. (yes I was aware I was potentially risking my safety) They invited me in for dinner. Turns out things had been greatly exaggerated fortunately.

Granted this was an adult - but I can guaran-freaking-tee you these cowards would have ignored it if it was a child too. After word got out at work I had gone to check on her I was told on the side by many people "I would not have gone to check on her".

This country has no more sense of community. It is a bunch of "everyone is on there own. don't even speak to your neighbor" kind of screwed up society. And almost everyone is too afraid to help anyone else in need. I can guarantee you at least some of the neighbors in this childs case suspected/knew what was going on.

[vadawg]

1. okay, somehow going from my experience i cant see no busybody telling someone

if they knew a child was being mistreated, unless this was the most unusual street in the world there has to have been a busybody. Mayby people did know and didnt report it, but as you said this is the way society is nowadays, with everyone scared of being either sued or killed if they interfere..

[katmondoo]

2. My cat is missing and I get lots of help and sympathy from people

Seems animals get more attention than a child or missing adult.

[seabeyond]

3. oh bullshit. with that set up if i thought anyone was in that, especially a child

i would go over the fence myself and get her out as would every single person i know

yes

i have to assume people didnt know she was there cause i cant believe that ONLY me and everyone i know are the only people that would care

[TwixVoy]

4. READ THE DAMN ARTICLES

TONS of quotes from people saying shit like "Oh gee I thought it was weird but I decided not to do anything".

There was even a quote from a neighbor that said she wanted to call the cops but her husband told her not to get involved.

Hurts to admit we are a nation of cowards, but we are.

[seabeyond]

5. i have read articles and i haven't heard from neighbors yet. i will read

i have never had a problem sticking nose in.... so that concept is foreign to me.

[MineralMan]

6. If a child is involved, a call to the local Child Protective Services,

or the equivalent agency in your jurisdiction will get results. No excuse for knowing about such a situation and not calling the authorities. If they don't act, follow up until they do. I find that a well-written letter mailed to such authorities gets results when nothing else will.

[Oregone]

7. Dude, even a pedophile turned his internet buddy in when he found out he had a sex slave

No one probably knew shit, other than his sick wife.

[TwixVoy]

8. I call bull shit

READ THE DAMN quotes from these cowardly neighbors. Fucking shit faced cowards. They knew and made fucking excuses to do nothing. Go and make more excuses for them. I am sure you would have done the same if you were them.

"But neighbours said there were clues even before a parole agent on Wednesday noticed Dugard, now 29, who accompanied Garrido, his wife and the children to a parole office."

"I asked my husband, 'Why is he living in tents?'" she said. "And he said, 'Maybe that is how they like to live.'''

http://www.thespec.com/article/625772

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. So they thought their neighbor was weird, but no idea about the actual circumstances.

"I am sure you would have done the same if you were them."

I think maybe you're projecting.

[madmusic]

9. Wrong

"My dad said he never saw a young woman," said Kathy Russo, whose father has lived two houses away from the Garridos for 33 years.

She said the one-story house's backyard was obscured by trees and ringed by a wooden fence. Her 94-year-old father considered Garrido to be a "kind of strange, reclusive, kind of an angry kind of guy," Russo said.

But one man who lives in the neighborhood told CNN that he called the local sheriff's department a few years ago after seeing what he thought were several children living in the backyard.

The man said authorities came out and had a brief conversation with the Garrido family, but nothing ever happened.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/28/california.kidnap.shed/

It will take some time for all the facts to unfold.

[Oregone]

11. At times like this we need a....

[madmusic]

14. LOL! That is excellent. Needs a reboot button nt

[subcomhd]

17. it's........exactly as you described it. eom

[Tutankhamun]

10. People love to help people. That's deeply wired in our consciousness.

It's a holdover from when humans lived in clans and sharing resources between neighborig clans was key to our survival. With no freezer to put a big kill in, better to share it then let it waste. Clans on the receiving end of a shared kill will feel compelled to return the favor.

Robert Cialdini discusses this in his classic work on human behavior, Influence. Good Book.

[OHdem10]

13. I think people are afraid to get involved in other people's business.

[stray cat]

15. I seldom suspect my neighbors are holding a kidnapped girl for 18 years

I probably wouldn't even figure it out if it happened in my apartment building. I seldom enter other peoples apartments particularly without being invited in.

[bettyellen]

16. people did call about the kids, saying he was a known predator,w/ kids living the yard...