aftermath of California homecoming gang rape.

A few days ago, we blogged about the atrocious gang rape of a 15-year-old high school student outside of a California homecoming dance. Rightfully so, the incident has garnered national media attention, and many writers, journalists, and news hubs are calling for immediate action, particularly in regards to the bystanders who silently watched as a young girl was brutally attacked.

As of this afternoon, a sixth suspect has been arrested in connection with the rape. The latest arrest, of 18-year-old Jose Carlos Montano, took place yesterday evening. Four others were arraigned in court on Thursday, while a fifth was arrested Tuesday but has yet to appear in court.

In a story like this, it’s hard to pick out the most horrific part. But, it may in fact be that as many as 20 onlookers gathered around the brutal two-and-a-half hour attack without doing a thing to stop it or even reporting it after the fact. Actually, authorities are saying that some of the members of the gathering crowd simply joined in on the attack. The rape has raised serious questions about what is termed the ‘bystander effect,’ which is “a theory that has played out in lynchings, college riots and white-collar crimes” [via CNN]. According to the theory, as the number of participants or witnesses increases, the less will get done in terms of justice or social action because what is happening (without being halted) becomes temporarily accepted as “the norm.”

It is also worth pointing out that some of the bystanders may have been kept silent because they feared retaliation or retribution for speaking up. But, personally, that seems like a cop-out excuse. I simply can’t wrap my mind around the fact that as many as 20 people watched this brutal attack and not one of them thought to turn to the next guy and question what was going on.

As The Daily Beast’s Wendy Murphy points out, there should be laws that require bystanders to report crime and punish them for not doing so. Murphy notes that this wasn’t a case of a few people engaged in an act of voyeurism or egging on a brawl (not like those situations should be acceptable, either), but of almost two dozen people silently watching–and perhaps participating in–a horrendous act of brutal savagery.

This is one case in which the media has responded in accordance with the situation at hand. Let’s hope they continue to keep this story in the headlines, putting pressure on the authorities and legal teams to get these boys behind bars for a very, very, very long time.

Also, check out this article, discussing the angry reaction of one of the victim’s friends.