HARRISBURG, Pa. — Wednesday’s overturning of Bill Cosby’s conviction could discourage sexual assault survivors from coming forward, advocates said immediately following the ruling.
Reaction from advocacy groups was swift and critical on Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re deeply disappointed in today’s ruling and the messages that it sends to the brave survivors who spoke out on what Bill Cosby did to them. This is not justice,” said Heather Drevna, vice president of communications for the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).
The Cosby case has been drawing attention to sexual assault for more than 15 years.
Cosby was first accused of sexual assault in 2005 and arrested in 2015.
Crisis centers get more calls from survivors during high profile cases.
“For instance the single largest spike in hotline demand that we ever saw was during and right after the Justice Kavanaugh hearing in the Senate,” Drevna said.
Dreva was concerned the ruling sets an expectation that survivors won’t get justice, leading them to not report an assault.
“We see many people are reluctant to come forward for a number of reasons, but most of all the fear of not being believed,” Drevna said. “Today’s ruling just reinforces for many survivors that it’s not worth that risk to come forward.”
But a lot has changed since 2005, or even 2015. In the post #MeToo era, there’s more public support for assault survivors who come forward.
Advocates add that the justice system isn’t the only path to justice.
“The most important [thing] is that it’s the path that the survivor needs to follow to get to a place of healing,” said Jim Willshier, chief public affairs officer for Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR).
Willshier said moving forward, the best action people can take is believing survivors.
“I think all of us just really need to rally behind all of those survivors that bravely came forward and told their story and recognize the courage that it takes to say that publicly,” Willshier said.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is a referral service that can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can call the Hotline at 1-800-656-4673, or access RAINN’s online chat service.
In Pennsylvania, you can also find your local rape crisis center by visiting www.pcar.org or by calling 1-888-772-7227.
