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Original poster

Bill Cosby rape allegations

32 replies

seagull70 · 21/11/2014 21:12

Only allegations at this stage but more and more women are coming forward with stories of rape and sexual assault.

The comments left by people online remind me very much of the comments when allegations first started surfacing about Jimmy Saville (mainly victim blaming and disbelief that a national treasure could be responsible for such a thing).

The comments in the American press are horrible Sad

www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2014/11/20/two-new-bill-cosby-accusers-lou-ferrigno-therese-serignese/70011214/

AIBU to think that these allegations are only the tip of the iceberg?

OP posts:
SevenZarkSeven · 21/11/2014 21:23

Gosh that article. I haven't really heard much about it til now.

I expect people will come on in a minute to say no-one one is allowed to have an opinion about whether he might have done this or not because of trials and what have you but actually people are perfectly well allowed to say whether in their opinion something sounds likely or not without it rendering the entire legal process of everything ever null and void.

So that said it's pretty fucking damning isn't it. When multiple unconnected people come forward with similar stories about one person and with no apparent reason for doing so then it's got to they did it IMO.

exWifebeginsat40 · 21/11/2014 21:26

22 women. He made the first case go away by settling out of court once the prosecutors made it clear to him that there were 13 'Jane Does' who would also testify to him attacking them.

BeenThereGotTheTShirt · 21/11/2014 21:33

I'm not sure if there will be trials, from what I heard on the radio yesterday it sounds like most of the alleged crimes were too long ago to be prosecuted now.

Bulbasaur · 21/11/2014 21:39

Statute of limitations is up, and they never got a rape kit test done. I have no doubt he did it, but nothing will come of it. You're innocent until proven guilty, and sadly there's just no proof.

SevenZarkSeven · 21/11/2014 21:42

How long do they have to get people?

I'm glad that they don't have that rule over here.

Original poster
seagull70 · 21/11/2014 21:48

Maybe that explains the prevailing attitude then balbasaur

Maybe it's just easier to victim blame and deny, than to admit that your countries fucked up judicial system allows a serial rapist to walk free.

OP posts:
FamiliesShareGerms · 21/11/2014 21:54

Bulbasaur I'm really glad that we, like the US, have a judicial system based on innocent until proven guilty

SevenZarkSeven · 21/11/2014 21:55

What about the statute of limitations but that we don;t have, families?

Failedspinster · 21/11/2014 21:55

I'd bet my shirt that he did it.

SevenZarkSeven · 21/11/2014 21:55

I mean, it looks damn likely that he is a serial sex offender and by the looks of it, under their legal system, he will never be prosecuted for any of it.

I can't see that as a good thing.

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 21/11/2014 21:56

I believe the victims.

I can understand 1 making it up but 22 is very unlikely.

Bulbasaur · 21/11/2014 22:01

Maybe it's just easier to victim blame and deny, than to admit that your countries fucked up judicial system allows a serial rapist to walk free.

Our country's judicial system is fucked up for more reasons than just that. The fact that he was able to pay off a victim and the case dropped is telling enough of how fucked our system is.

But, I think even in UK, he wouldn't be able to be prosecuted due to lack of proof.

His career is over, his legacy is trashed. No one will host his shows. That's the best anyone can really do for the victims.

raltheraffe · 21/11/2014 22:02

If he is a serial rapist it would be very odd for this behaviour to just stop all of a sudden. If he has done this there may be more recent victims who will hopefully speak out and then he will face the courts.

LaurieFairyCake · 21/11/2014 22:03

Yes but unfortunately he's a very old man and had years of fame and fortune. He's hardly going to be paying for it now.

Got away with it for decades.

EachandEveryone · 21/11/2014 22:06

Nothing will be done about it anyway. I think ten years is the max time you have in some states it's two!

At his age it will hardly affect him. I don't know much about him just that I loved the show. Was he well liked and respected amongst his pears? Did Oprah ever have him on? Cos she can usually see right through people and they are a similar generation. Was he courted at the Whitehouse? Was he the king of his castle? I think you'd have to be in a America at that time to know how big he was.

I believe he's playing a stand up comedy show tonight Sad

EachandEveryone · 21/11/2014 22:06

Peers not pears!

Meechimoo · 21/11/2014 22:07

his eyes are dead. I always thought that. Emotionless and mean humour.

BeenThereGotTheTShirt · 21/11/2014 22:08

On the radio they were saying that it is odd if he isn't either defending himself or suing for defamation of character. The key point being that telling the truth is a defence against being sued for defaming someone, so legally he is best off saying nothing.

Original poster
seagull70 · 21/11/2014 22:09

Yes EachandEveryone and he's receiving standing ovations Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
seagull70 · 21/11/2014 22:10

I think that the Saville case gave victims the courage to come forward and speak out against other 'celebs' though.

Maybe this will also now happen in the US. It will be interesting to see what unfolds.

OP posts:
SevenZarkSeven · 21/11/2014 22:12

Bulbasaur 22 witnesses is plenty of proof to bring a prosecution. He would be tried in the UK. People like DLT and Max Clifford have been sent down.

micah · 21/11/2014 22:15

emotionless and mean humour

Exactly. I always thought he was very unfunny. And in some ways racist, as the shows I saw were always 100% black actors. Occasionally a token white bit parter who was poked fun at for not being black then dismissed, as really they wouldn't want to associate with them. I sometimes wondered if he was trying to make a point, but always came back to him just not being a nice person.

I hated him. Always got his laugh by being mean to others. Classic bully. Even before these allegations.

SevenZarkSeven · 21/11/2014 22:16

Having a few years limit on telling / bringing to trial does seem to work against victims of sex crimes especially if they are young when it happens.

If it were the case in the UK then people who are in prison now would be free.

I read the thinking behind it on wiki just now and it just doesn't make sense to me. The reasons given just don't work for sex crimes.

I am glad we don't have such a rule in the UK. If someone has committed a crime, especially one as heinous as rape, then when it comes to light it needs to be pursued and prosecuted. That seems obvious to me but then it's my country and what I'm used to so I would say that.

I mean if he was raping people in say the 80s or 90s he needs to be done for that right?

FamiliesShareGerms · 21/11/2014 22:16

I don't personally agree with the statute of limitations (or double jeopardy), but I do agree that there should be a proper judicial process to reach a guilty verdict rather than "lots of people said it so it must be true" (or "the king / baron / rich person said it so it must be true")

YouTheCat · 21/11/2014 22:18

One of the people who has come forward is Lou Ferrigno's wife.