History Main / AccompliceByInaction

* In ''WebVideo/{{Squaresville}}'', it is hinted that the group of protagonists which we follow are a bunch of social outcasts. They are victims, if not of bullying, at least of condescending remarks from the other children, even the more "conformist" outcasts. The most jaded of them all, Esther, has a grudge against Shelly, a girl who "escaped" their current condition, and did nothing to help.

--->'''Martin Niemöller''': "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me."

* ''[[WebVideo/LifeSMP 3rd Life SMP]]'': Right after [[spoiler:Tango]] is executed by firing squad for breaking a server rule, everyone thinks that's that... until Bdubs tells [[spoiler:Etho]] that he too must be punished for not reporting [[spoiler:Tango]] for breaking the rules, causing him to be executed in the same way.

* Chicago White Sox third baseman Buck Weaver did not participate in throwing the 1919 World Series. However he did have knowledge of the conspiracy and failed to report it. As a result, Weaver received the same punishment as the conspirators; a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball.

* In ''Film/SawIII'', Danica Scott is put on a "Jigsaw test" for witnessing a kid getting run over by a car with drunk-driver, and failing to both report the incident to the nearby authority and turn up in the court as a witness in the past. Danica has no way to save herself from the test and must depends on Jeff, the father of the deceased kid who is hellbent on revenge.

* A widely-circulated UrbanLegend about Music/PhilCollins' "In The Air Tonight" is that the song is about an incident where Collins witnessed a man refusing to help a drowning victim. In one version, he allegedly sang the song to the man in concert after arranging a front-row seat. The man was supposedly DrivenToSuicide afterward.

--->'''Martin Niemöller''': "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me."

* ''[[LetsPlay/LifeSMP 3rd Life SMP]]'': Right after [[spoiler:Tango]] is executed by firing squad for breaking a server rule, everyone thinks that's that... until Bdubs tells [[spoiler:Etho]] that he too must be punished for not reporting [[spoiler:Tango]] for breaking the rules, causing him to be executed in the same way.

** In ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'', this was part of a ''very'' large plotline involving Tombstone and ''Daily Bugle'' editor Joe Robinson. Tombstone had bullied Joe when they were kids, and eventually, Joe witnessed Tombstone - now a [[ProfessionalKiller hitman working for the Kingpin]] kill a man, and after the thug threatened him, he kept quiet for decades. In the present time, Joe finally came forward when the Kingpin used the assassin in a ''failed'' attempt at Spidey, but Joe was arrested and convicted of withholding evidence. (In truth, both the DA and judge were bought by the Kingpin; this led to another storyline where Tombstone attempted to gain revenge on him in prison, which eventually ended in Joe gaining a Presidential pardon; still, the issue with Tombstone lasted much longer...)

* This is the main motivation of "Public Enemy" from the ''ComicBook/Marvel2099'' verse. A genetically-engineered super soldier, he bears a grudge against the corporation Alchemax for murdering his parents. Even after tracking down and killing everyone involved in the Red Dog project, he still feels like the really guilty party hasn't been punished. He then witnesses a crazed gunman about to kill a woman, while dozens of pedestrians either ignore it or talk about what a shame it is. After rescuing her, a crowd of people gather around him to tell him what a hero he was. Incensed at their inaction, he murders them all on the spot. He realizes that who he truly hates are the public who allow bad things to happen while claiming innocence. He kills more crowds of people who were witnesses to crimes and did nothing to stop them, eventually coming into conflict with Comicbook/{{The Punisher|2099}}. During a battle between the two, he's surrounded by a crowd of people who were related to his victims. They all attack him with bricks, pipes, and whatever else they have on hand. As the crowd swarms him, Public Enemy yells out encouragement to them, overjoyed that they're finally doing what he wanted them to do even as they tear him apart.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': This was part of a ''very'' large plotline involving Tombstone and ''Daily Bugle'' editor Joe Robinson. Tombstone had bullied Joe when they were kids, and eventually, Joe witnessed Tombstone - now a [[ProfessionalKiller hitman working for the Kingpin]] kill a man, and after the thug threatened him, he kept quiet for decades. In the present time, Joe finally came forward when the Kingpin used the assassin in a ''failed'' attempt at Spidey, but Joe was arrested and convicted of withholding evidence. (In truth, both the DA and judge were bought by the Kingpin; this led to another storyline where Tombstone attempted to gain revenge on him in prison, which eventually ended in Joe gaining a Presidential pardon; still, the issue with Tombstone lasted much longer...)
** A variation of this trope in his origin story -- standing by idly as the burglar who later would murder Uncle Ben escaped -- of course continues to be the driving motivation for Spider-Man himself.

* In Creator/JessFranco's ''Film/{{Venus In Furs|Franco1969}}'', Jimmy witnesses three people assaulting and murdering Wanda, and does nothing. His monologue suggests that this is something more than BystanderSyndrome--he considers himself somehow simpatico with the killers.

* ''Film/TalkToMe'': Riley becomes possessed by [[spoiler:a spirit masquerading as that of protagonist Mia's mother Rhea]]. Eager to talk to that spirit, Mia stops the others from blowing out the candle, despite clear warnings of the approaching 90-second mark and that the spirit will "want to stay". It does, and Riley pays the immediate consequences.\

* ''Film/TalkToMe'': Riley becomes possessed by [[spoiler:a spirit masquerading as that of protagonist Mia's mother Rhea]]. Eager to talk to that spirit, Mia stops the others from blowing out the candle, despite clear warnings of the approaching 90-second mark and that the spirit will "want to stay". It does, and Riley pays the immediate consequences.

* This was part of a ''very'' large plotline in the ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' comics, involving Tombstone and ''Daily Bugle'' editor Joe Robinson. Tombstone had bullied Joe when they were kids, and eventually, Joe witnessed Tombstone - now a [[ProfessionalKiller hitman working for the Kingpin]] kill a man, and after the thug threatened him, he kept quiet for decades. In the present time, Joe finally came forward when the Kingpin used the assassin in a ''failed'' attempt at Spidey, but Joe was arrested and convicted of withholding evidence. (In truth, both the DA and judge were bought by the Kingpin; this led to another storyline where Tombstone attempted to gain revenge on him in prison, which eventually ended in Joe gaining a Presidential pardon; still, the issue with Tombstone lasted much longer...)

* In ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'', [[spoiler:Luna]] considers [[spoiler:her]]self one, since they knew about the Nonary Game and the players, but was ordered to remain silent. [[spoiler:Indeed, she's actually [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot programmed]] to die if she disobeys orders.]]

* Website/SCPFoundation: In the "Competitive Eschatology" canon, SCP-231-7 (an ApocalypseMaiden whom the Foundation routinely tortures to keep the EldritchAbomination she's pregnant with in check) turns out to be the first of the HorsemenOfTheApocalypse. When she awakens and meets with SCP-343 (who is implied in the regular mythos and confirmed here to be the Abrahamic God), she wastes no time [[CallingTheOldManOut calling him out]] for not using his omnipotence and omniscience to save her.