We have all heard about the recent allegations of Bill Cosby raping over 50 women
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The Facts
- Bill Cosby was never criminally charged or convicted in the sexual assault or rape of his accusers.
- In 2005 Bill Cosby was involved in a civil trial in 2005, where under oath he admitted to knowingly giving his own prescription Quaaludes and Benadryl to women with the intent of having sex with them.
- One accuser has been proved to have lied: Chloe Goins was proven to have not come into contact at all with Bill Cosby at any time or around the time of the alleged incident as corroborated by her own witness and other accounts.
The people who are quick to defend Cosby on that third point: an accuser lied about a rape. They jump at this, to many of his defenders, this one person and their accusation are representative of all the women who have bravely come forward in this case.
Here is another fact- it does not. It takes an incredible amount of courage for anyone to come forward in a sexual assault case, and it is in fact rather difficult when a celebrity is being accused. Bill Cosby has an enormous amount of resources and support that will help defend him. He has the power and the name that his victims do not have. The victims are putting themselves on the world stage by coming forward, opening themselves up to strong scrutiny and hate. They didn't do it for fun or to get rich quick, as many people are suggesting.
How could it be possible that all of those other women have similar accusations without having contact with each other? Because what is being reported happened. We have the facts from Bill Cosby himself. He gave powerful sedative drugs to women in order to have sex with them. At this point it is implausible to defend him on that fact. This only goes to give the victims even more validity. This is not some speculation or out of context comment; this has been published in the trial record from 2005. A message to all the deniers: please stop, you’re making it hard for people everywhere to come forward with their own stories of fear of being attacked and denied.
This is not to say that Bill Cosby has done great things in his life. Odyssey writer Victoria Stackfield said that “The question isn’t whether he is guilty or not. The question is does his legacy deserve to be destroyed.” (link to her article.) Cosby did help many across the country, but that doesn't mean his legacy should remain. HOW can we continue to take advice about morals, ethics and lifestyle choices from a man who has raped or sexually assaulted upwards 50 women? No, personally, I don't think his legacy should be remembered, as many suggest. What he did was disgusting and all of those who continue to show unfettered support for him even after he revealed the truth is just as disgusting.
This is the perfect teaching example. We shouldn't be quick to pass judgement on people without knowing the complete story, but when over 50 women come forward and the accused admits to wrongdoing, maybe we can start looking at the case more critically.
For people who have doubted the claims of the victims only to now realize the validity of their accusations, now if your chance to offer support in similar cases. Accusations like rape and sexual assault need to be taken seriously. This can be done without jumping to conclusions and while respecting the innocence until proven guilt of either party.
With over 70% of rapes and sexual assault going unreported, it becomes obvious when looking at cases like this. The actual events are traumatic, and even so for the victims, to be assumed as liars from the start. The victims lives become scrutinized, they become subject to hate and backlash for their accusations and things just as worse. Please make the change. Assist people in getting the help they need in times of turmoil.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) . They are a no-cost service that provides “Confidential, judgment-free support from a trained staff member.”
