[Svip]

Amusing the title is the "Copenhagen Trap" (I know it's a reference to the Copenhagen Interpretation), since Denmark actually have laws about duty to help.

The Danish penal code § 253[1] punishes people with up to 2 years in prison, those who - without high risk to themselves or others - intentionally do not help someone after ability, who is clearly life threatened.

Additionally, the Danish rules of the road § 9[2] have rules for acting in the event of an accident; specifically, that they have a duty to help.

[1] https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/1294#P253 [2] https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2024/1312#P9

[StopDisinfo910]

It's the same in France with "Non assistance à personne en danger” literally ”Not helping someone in danger" and the assistance expected is proportional to your immediate ability. A doctor who would not try to help someone injured is liable for example. There are precedents.

Weird use of "the West" here.

[rkomorn]

I remember the first time I heard about this, but it's been such a long time that I don't remember the details.

IIRC, someone drowned, and someone else filmed it on camera instead of helping, and ended up on trial for "non assistance".

I can't seem to dig up the actual story, but I think it was in the mid 90s.

Edit: I think it was the story of Marie-Noëlle Guillerné's drowning.

[defrost]

I grew up in the West (Australia) - for locals it's almost unthinkable that you wouldn't help someone that needed a hand, eg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YORxs9E2Ex0

is unremarkable save for the fact that the rest of the world thought it unusual.

Many people are members of volunteer organisations, SES (Search and Rescue), St. John's (Ambulance and medical first responce), VFRS (Volunteer Firefighters) etc.

[zyngaro]

This law is specific to situations of imminent or actual physical harm. Also notice the way the law is formulated: non-assistance (negative) and not a an explicit duty to assist (positive).