INCARCERATED: Heavy debate circulates as Bill Cosby awaits his official sentencing.
By Kelsey Chamberlain, Staff Editor
On September 25, Bill Cosby, formerly acknowledged as one of America’s most well known comedians and often labeled “America’s Dad,” by fans of his role on The Cosby Show, received a sentence of three to ten years in prison on three counts of the sexual assault of Andrea Constand in January of 2004. Constand disclosed information to authorities a year later in January of 2005, and while the case was first left uncharged due to what was deemed insubstantial evidence, time dictated that she was not alone in her allegations. Comedian Hannibal Buress deemed Bill Cosby a “rapist” during a stand-up routine in October 2014, and this monumental name calling ignited the fire that would eventually annihilate Cosby’s career. Combined with Constand’s case from a decade before, the moment inspired a multitude of women who also endured pain from Cosby to come forward with their own stories. All were as difficult to read as they were similar in style: Cosby typically intoxicated the women, often in the form of a pill or beverage, in order for them to black out and wake up hours, sometimes even a day or more later, to evidence suggesting molestation. According to USA Today, by the time of Cosby’s sentencing, a massive total of 60 women came forward with their own disturbing accusations of his predatory behavior, sharing with the public not only the pain of reliving these events, but also the years of trauma that Cosby inflicted upon them. Constand herself stated that the experience took her “beautiful, healthy, young spirit and crushed it.” His nightmarish behavior forever altered, at the very least, 60 lives, and there may be a plethora of women still silent in fear of sharing their experiences.
Despite the overwhelming evidence against Cosby, those arguing for his innocence believe that he does not deserve any time behind bars. Los Angeles Times reports that Joseph P. Green, Cosby’s defense attorney, argued that Cosby deserved a lighter sentence due to his blindness, old age, and clean past record. But do these attributes excuse the long list of allegations against him? Anyone can google Bill Cosby’s name and find the personal statements from each accuser within seconds. According to vox.com, Cosby’s wife, Camille Cosby, believes her husband to be a victim of public lynching, declaring, “This is mob justice, not real justice.” His spokesperson Ebonee Benson also added to his defense, asking viewers of Good Morning America on April 27: “Since when are all people honest? Since when are all women honest?” But why don’t we try hearing out the voices of over 60 individuals, instead of assuming the women are liars and continuing to let rape culture run amuck? Statements made by these supporters imply that there is a lack of evidence to prove that he truly committed the crimes, or even that accusers are fabricating these allegations entirely. Although some of the allegations may contain no evidence beyond what the women have released to the public, Constand’s case provided substantial evidence in that when he was first convicted in 2005, Cosby admitted to authorities that he purchased Quaaludes, a type of sedative, with the intent of using them to drug women, according to the Cable News Network (CNN). This information was made public in 2015 “[…] after the Associated Press went to court to compel their release,” CNN said. Information from 2005 regarding his case resurfaced ten years later, proving a key factor in the eventual verdict for Cosby.
Numbers don’t lie. Evidence straight from a convicted individual doesn’t just disappear. Constand and all other accusers deserve the justice they’ve fought for. We live in a society that is quick to make excuses time and time again, for boyish men who refuse to be held accountable for their actions, and a society just as quick to call women liars or attention seekers. It’s been seen multiple times in the past, whether regarding Brock Turner, the infamous sexual predator who got away with a shrimpy prison sentencing after it was decided that too much time would “ruin his future,” or President Donald Trump’s piggish bragging about molesting women written off as mere “locker room talk.” Meanwhile, women seem to get the short end of the stick in these instances. According to bustle.com, for every 1,000 cases of rape, only six rapists (a little under 1%) will typically be incarcerated. Sometimes women will even be charged for lying about rape despite the truth of their situations. New York Times describes how “Marie,” an 18 year old who went to court for her rape, was charged for lying after recanting her testimony, but was later proved to have been being truthful the whole time after police arrested a serial rapist and found evidence that he had raped her. Instances like these shine a light onto why so many women fear coming forward with their own traumatic experiences. Not only is there a slim chance of an arrest ever actually happening, but accusers can be punished for false testimonies that are, in fact, true.
Bill Cosby is a rapist. He doesn’t deserve a lighter sentencing or a free pass altogether due to his age, or circumstances. The weight of the pain he has caused to a myriad of affected women does not become less valid due to his fame. Before doing what has become commonplace and creating yet another excuse for a rapist’s behavior, people should put themselves in the shoes of the accusers. “Cosby is elderly” does not translate to “Cosby shouldn’t go to prison.” He is a man who made disgusting choices throughout practically his entire life, and although it took a long time for this information to catch up with him, he must now face the repercussions of this inhumane behavior.