If the Georgia waitress's account is accurate, those 3 medical students did the equivalent of calling in a bomb threat. That has been against the law for a long time.

Following 9-11, there were several accounts of people who apparently overheard one or more of the hijackers bragging about what was going to happen in the days leading up to the attacks. If those accounts are true, then I hope those people who heard the threats and did nothing sleep well at night.

Back in the 1960s, American was shocked by the Kitty Genovese murder, where 37 people witnessed 3 attacks over 30 minutes but none would help or even call the police because they "didn't want to get involved." It'll be one hell of a world if that becomes a widespread notion.

There are a lot of people who are required by law to report suspected abuse. Teachers and medical personnel in many states can be prosecuted if they fail to report suspected abuse against children and battered women, in some states. They aren't allowed to merely confront the accused, they have to report it to the police.

On the other hand, anonymous hot lines have all to often become a tool to get back at people, sometimes ruining careers in the process. A few years ago, there was a flurry of stories about sexual harassment in the Army. The Army set up a hotline for reports. There were many real incidents uncovered, but the anonymous hotline was discontinued after a rash of false claims aimed at settling old scores.