Hollywood
Bill Cosby Breaks Silence After Sexual Assault Conviction Overturned
Bill Cosby has broken his silence following his release from prison after his sexual assault conviction was overturned.
Cosby had served more than two years of a three to 10-year sentence at a state prison near Philadelphia before Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction.
The judges have said there had been a “process violation” by the prosecution.
In 2018, the 83-year-old was found guilty of drugging and molesting ex-basketball player Andrea Constand.
Dozens of other women also came out to accuse the comedian of sexual assault, sexual battery, rape, drugging, but he was only tried criminally for the incident against Constand.
Cosby admitted to acquiring Quaaludes, a sedative drug, to young women he wanted to have sex with, but did not admit to drugging his accusers.
While Cosby has been authorised to leave prison and is now home, he is not exonerated of crimes but rather released purely on legal technicality.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office has provided a statement.
D.A. Kevin R. Steele has said: “The majority decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court orders the release of William H. Cosby Jr. from state prison. He was found guilty by a jury and now goes free on a procedural issue that is irrelevant to the facts of the crime.”
Steele offers his commendations to Andrea Constand and the other women who spoke out: “I want to commend Cosby’s victim Andrea Constand for her bravery in coming forward and remaining steadfast throughout this long ordeal, as well as all of the other women who have shared similar experiences.”
He concludes: “My hope is that this decision will not dampen the reporting of sexual assaults by victims. Prosecutors in my office will continue to follow the evidence wherever and to whomever it leads. We still believe that no one is above the law—including those who are rich, famous and powerful.”
There has been outrage across social media.
A lot of users voice their concerns that sexual assault accusations are not taken seriously.
Many express that the release of Cosby is an example of why sexual abuse/assault victims do not report the ordeal for fear of justice not being served or not being believed.
One user writes:
I simply couldn’t engage with it last night but the Bill Cosby news has made me sick to my stomach. Never, ever ask survivors of sexual violence why they don’t report. In the US and the UK alike, the criminal justice systems are not fit for purpose.
— Moya Crockett (@MoyaCrockett) July 1, 2021
Bill has also released a statement on Twitter following his release:
“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.”
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
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