Prosecutors said the riders who reportedly witnessed a woman being raped on a SEPTA train will not face charges for not intervening.
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A spokeswoman from the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that there are no plans to charge the riders who witnessed the sexual assault. As previously reported, 10 witnesses did nothing as 35-year-old Fiston Ngoy raped a female passenger last week after they entered the train at the same stop in North Philadelphia. Ngoy harassed the victim for several minutes and started groping her before the attack.
According to Metro UK, District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer claimed prosecutors would rather witnesses come forward with their own information instead of fearing the repercussions. ‘Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of a passenger who may have witnessed a crime,’ he said during a press conference.
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The only person who made a 911 call during the assault was an off-duty transportation authority employee and authorities arrived at the scene three minutes later to arrest Ngoy. It was also revealed that Ngoy had several arrests since 2015 and two misdemeanors which include sexual assault.
Currently, he is being held at the Delaware County Prison and his bail was set for $180,000. His court date was scheduled for Monday,