It does look horrible you’re right. You have an obligation to report that crime. Anxiety, adrenaline etc are all normal in a situation like that. I’m being honest- how would it make you feel to know that she was murdered because you didn’t report it till 2 weeks later?
I need to put my tuppence of opinion in here.
There are no rights or wrongs in this situation of this witness coming forward or not or even when because unless and until you are ever unfortunate enough to take a walk in their shoes , then sat safely behind a keyboard in the comfort of your own home, you could not possibly ever imagine the fear that some people justifiably feel.
I speak from first hand witnessed experience when a case I was investigating involved 40+ doormen who were all heavily armed, traveled in a convoy to a specific location where it was known that the person who they had a ‘beef’ with, would be.
Once there, which incidentally it was a pub on a Sunday afternoon filled with patrons young and old, families with children etc , a handful went into the pub whilst the rest stood guard outside, and ‘hacked’ a man to death in front of his wife and children and the pub customers and staff.
They had on no facial covering or balaclavas and they did not deface or cover up the CCTV cameras such was their confidence that nobody would give a witness statement to the Police, stating what they saw . And they were so sure that if anybody did, that they would soon be persuaded by whatever means necessary, not to give evidence in court .
Out of many ,many witnesses, 1 , just 1, came forward and she stated that it was the biggest mistake of her life.
Even though all sorts of measures were put in place to protect her, she had no option but to go into ‘witness protection ‘ which if you aren’t aware , means total separation from every person who has ever been in your life including parents and siblings etc
It means a whole new identity in a whole new city away from everyone and everything that you have ever known.
Did they find her, of course they did .
But it didn’t stop there. Her family home was firebombed and razed to the ground. Her parents and grandparents were continually subjected to threats . Her brother was kidnapped and left for dead . I could continue but I think my message is clear enough. This was an exceptional circumstance but it does happen and none of us can know how we would feel if we witnessed Amiahs kidnapping because none of us know what the perpetrator/s is or are capable of ( albeit we have already got an idea ) and we don’t know if there was any kind of relationship between the witness and the perpetrator/s and how identifiable they would be.
So please have some compassion if you don’t already have, for the unknown situation that this witness was in .
Yes it could well be that it may have saved Amiahs life ( if in fact she’s dead ) but contrast this with the thought that the witness could be signing a death warrant for his/her own family members and think of the torture the witness may have felt ,weighing up what to do . Either way, this witness is in a lose lose situation because whatever they do or don’t do, they have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives so it’s potentially not just Amiahs life ruined and that of her family and friends but also the life of the witness and their family and friends. Food for thought people .
I know they have done thier best. They have lives to get back to. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for Coming.
