Bad endings for Good Samaritans making people think twice

Many people say China's socialist value meant people really cared about others, often offering to lend a hand without being asked. A lot has changed since the society has provided more affluence for some, and communities have become more isolated.

Now the country is facing what some are calling "by-stander apathy" -- when people see someone needing assistance but are either too afraid or unwilling to help.

Two very different versions of exactly the same story.

"Three children ran into me and pushed me down. Two of them ran away and one of them pulled me up. So I grabbed him." Fallen woman said.

"We saw her lying on the ground and she asked us to help her up, but as soon as she was on her feet she grabbed me and demanded money." Xiao Yun said.

This bitter little drama between a 74-year-old woman and three primary school students happened six months ago and has only recently been resolved. The woman, surnamed Jiang, claims she was on her way home in Dazhou City of Sichuan province when she broke her leg after being pushed to ground by the students. Jiang and her family demanded the students' family pay her medical expenses of 10 thousand yuan. Last week, Jiang upped her pressure tactics by showing up at the student's home -- and then refused to leave.

"We're very upset about this. She's framing us and now we can't even live in our own home." Xiao's father said.

Xiao Yun's father asked the local judicial bureau for help but was told he should "minimize the consequence" by splitting the demanded compensation with the families of the other children. Instead Xiao Yun's father decided to prove his daughter was blameless.

"She just fell down, and asked the children to help her up. Then she blamed the children for pushing her down. One of the children started to cry so I called his father." Witness said.

Seven witnesses came forward to provide sworn statements saying that Xiao Yun and his friends had done nothing to cause Jiang's fall. She and her son were finally taken into custody, but the incident has left the boy's father with moral dilemma.

"If the actions of good samaritans are always going to have bad endings, I can only teach my child not to help strangers." Xiao's father said.

There are many similar stories of rip-off artists trying to take advantage of those who are trying to do right thing.

Northwest Normal University student Haofeng had his arm slashed after he stopped a thief trying to steal a girl's cellphone. His surgery cost him 8-thousand yuan but the girl's family never offered to help.

Bad endings for good samaritans haved affected people's willingness to do the right thing.

This is a hot photo on Weibo, showed an old man groveling on the ground as bystanders gawked and took photos. No one offered to help before police arrived. And in October social media sites showed this woman who somehow got her neck stuck between railings, no one helped and she choked to death.