Damage done as Cosby’s only prison now will be his disgrace
THE sight of gloating Bill Cosby walking free from prison flashing the victory sign as he returned to his multi-million-dollar home was sickening to see.
Released early from a three to 10 year stretch for sexual assault – not on evidence but a technicality – it was easy to imagine the thoughts of his accusers.
Dozens of women have publicly accused Cosby, who made millions from the 80s sitcom The Cosby Show playing of all things a trusted doctor, of sexual assault. But the comedic actor was only tried criminally for one incident and was found guilty in 2018 of three counts of sex assault, drugging and molesting a woman at his Philadelphia home in 2004.
But state supreme court justices last week ruled that an agreement he made with a previous prosecutor should have stopped him from being charged.
Following his release from a state prison, Cosby tweeted: “I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence.”
The 83-year-old is now a free man – one who undoubtedly will never see the inside of a prison cell again.
The decision reinforced the widespread belief that a wealthy man in possession of an expensive lawyer can get away with anything.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court may have sprung Cosby, known previously in the States as “America’s dad”, from a concrete jail but neither it nor anyone else can release him from the prison of disgrace.
Not only did he betray the trust of a young woman he was convicted of drugging and sexually attacking, but he broke faith with untold millions who held him up as a hero of fatherhood, a fictional character kids often dreamed of having as a real parent. Some mums and dads even strove to emulate his TV role in real life.
Even more concerning about his release is the incalculable damage it may inflict upon other sexual assault victims, not just in the States but in the UK and elsewhere too, who may now be hesitant to step forward.
There is a reason why the dozens of women who accused Cosby of misconduct took years to come forward. There is a reason more than two out of three sexual assaults are estimated to go unreported.
Sexual assault victims often fail to come forward out of fear and shamefully because they don’t expect to be believed or taken seriously by the law. It is easy to see why.
According to America’s Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, more than 97% of perpetrators never face justice.
Cosby admitted in court proceedings he had got the sedative drug quaaludes with the intent of giving them to young women he wanted to have sex with, and that he gave another sedative to at least one woman and “other people”. His lawyers said that at least two of those accusing the comedian had knowingly taken the sedative.
Cosby no longer lives in prison, but he will always live in shame – American ‘justice’ even more so.
GOOD luck to Sir Richard Branson in his bid to win the billionaire space race. The Brit’s company, Virgin Galactic, will attempt to fly his rocket-powered plane on Sunday and, if successful, will beat Amazon boss Jeff Bezos into orbit by nine days.
Confirming the flight, Sir Richard tweeted: “I’ve always been a dreamer.
”My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars.”
The trip has been 17 years in the making, delayed by a series of setbacks, including the 2014 tragedy in which co-pilot Michael Alsbury was killed when the company’s SpaceShipTwo aircraft broke up mid-air.
More than 700 people have signed up for Sir Richard’s entry into space tourism, including Tom Hanks, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga, paying £180,000 each for a trip onboard.
The aliens must be wondering what the heck is going on.
They wait centuries for a billionaire, and then two come along at once.
FORMER Health Secretary Matt Hancock may want to download the latest app launched in the US.
Postdates arranges to have your belongings – including phones, bills, family heirlooms and even sex toys – picked up from an ex’s home or sent back to them.
With deliveries starting from just $30, the packages include
‘Divorced,’ ‘Hooked Up,’ ‘Seriously Dated,’ ‘Lived Together,’ and ‘One Night Stand’.
And if the former Health Secretary’s new relationship with aide Gina Coladangelo doesn’t work out, the app has that covered too.
The ‘Went Back To Your Ex’ deal looks a bargain.
Cosby no longer lives in prison, but he will always live in shame