There is a lot of info out there,stating how empaths get tricked and manipulated by toxic people.These days there is a lot of awareness about dysfunctional behaviours.I think it's not lack of empathy ,but people are being careful.
A person in meet up group shared an incident.In his country, it happened many times until someone reported it.A crying child stops a teen girl who is all by herself, and says he is lost and wants his mommy and asks the girl to take him home.child says he does not have address but can give her directions.If the girl agrees ,he takes her to a place,where she is drugged and r!#%d.When happened multiple times it got investigated and perps were caught.Can you believe they were giving those small kids candy and making them part of it?They were counting on the facts that everyone would jump in to help a small child.And young girls donot know how to handle it in a proper way.They would immediately act empathically and wouldnot have the maturity to foresee a risk.This person says now in my country,I guess people will be skeptical and may not come forward to help a lost child anymore.He told all of their relatives who had teens and preteen girls warned their girls to not to go near a crying lost child.Sad.