After serving two years of a maximum ten-year sentence, convicted sexual abuser, Bill Cosby has been released from prison.
CW: Sexual Assault. The recent overturn of his conviction of aggravated indecent assault has shocked and disappointed Bill Cosby’s victims.
The verdict has been described as “beyond triggering” for anyone who is a victim of sexual assault, and a “setback” in seeking justice for sexual assault survivors.
Cosby has been accused by sixty women, spanning from 1965 – 2008, of rape, sexual battery, drug-fuelled sexual assault and other sexual-related charges.
He also has two cases of child sexual abuse against him, involving two girls, aged 15 at the time.
So, why the hell is he walking free?
Cosby was found guilty of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his Pennsylvania home in 2004 after providing her with unidentified pills.
However, Pennsylvania’s court found that a state prosecutor, Bruce Castor, had previously made a deal with Cosby’s lawyers in 2005 not to press criminal charges.
As a result, Bill Cosby was forced to testify as part of a civil lawsuit that the defendant, Constand, brought against him.
His deposition was then unsealed by a judge in 2015, allowing a new district attorney, Kevin Steele, to charge Cosby later that year.
Now, the court has found that the landmark prosecution also meant that Castor’s earlier deal with Cosby had been broken, prompting the court to free him.
Speaking on his release, Cosby posted to Twitter the following statement:
I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence.
Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law. #BillCosby pic.twitter.com/bxELvJWDe5— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) June 30, 2021
In a list that details every woman and her case against Cosby, a similar theme surfaces throughout each; Cosby lures them in to discuss business, attend a party or appear as a guest on The Cosby Show, only to drug and sexually assault them.
Additionally, other common instances involved Cosby forcing himself onto the women.
In 2018, Cosby was convicted and given a sentence of three to ten years. At the time, his victims were overjoyed that justice was being carried out on such a well-known, and once adored celebrity.
This conviction has been heralded as a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement, which has increased survivors speaking up and seeking out services.
Additionally, the case against Cosby sparked an onslaught of allegations against powerful men in Hollywood, including Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and Terry Richardson.
Lili Bernard, who was allegedly drugged and raped by Cosby in 1992, suffers from “debilitating nightmares” and “anxiety-induced medical issues” since her attack. She commented on the conviction in 2018, claiming it was a “victory for all sexual-assault survivors, female and male“.
Clinical psychologist, Elizabeth Jeglic, specialises in sexual violence prevention. Jeglic mentions that when survivors witness the overturning of a high-profile case like Cosby’s, it can leave them feeling “helpless and hopeless again“.
She acknowledges the gruelling process of reliving past trauma’s when coming forward and going through the criminal justice system, along with the frightening prospect that justice may not be served – “it revictimizes survivors all over again and brings back those memories of the trauma.”
While some people are outraged, others have defended Cosby including Tariq Nasheed via Twitter, believing that the recent verdict is justified.
Bill Cosby walks free after raping scores of women.
Allison Mack gets 3 years, 3 fucking years, for destroying the lives of countless women. ( 25 wouldn’t have been enough)
Ask again if it’s getting better. Ask again if things have changed.
— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) July 1, 2021
Bill Cosby should not have been charged in this racist farce in the first place
There was ZERO evidence against him…
He never “confessed” or “admitted” to drugging women….
Several of the accusers were PROVEN to be liars.
And now Cosby is NOT GUILTY according to the law pic.twitter.com/FsjGL91MTk
— Tariq Nasheed Twitter 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) June 30, 2021
However, in the wake of Cosby’s premature release, we hope that this does not stifle the incredible progress made by the #MeToo movement, and prevent survivors from seeking justice and speaking up.
From the team at Happy, we would like to acknowledge that the media coverage of this high-profile case is rampant and may recall past trauma for survivors.
If you know someone who is a survivor, know that the media coverage and recent results of the Cosby case could cause them to re-experience traumatic symptoms including anxiety, fear, sadness, distancing from others, irritability, panic attacks, and anger.
