Daniel Penny Effect

The phenomenon observed where bystanders will ignore, film or otherwise not get involved in an emergency or life threatening situation involving innocent people out of fear of legal prosecution or physical harm.

First referenced by news outlets in the aftermath of a woman on a NYC subway getting burned alive by an illegal migrant.

"Invoking fears of legal backlash, the Daniel Penny Effect loomed large as bystanders watched helplessly during a horrifying Brooklyn subway attack where a woman was set on fire."