A Breakdown Of The Bill Cosby Rape Allegations

Depending on how you look at things, there are two starting points for the timeline of Bill Cosby’s alleged assaults, indecent behavior and rapes. You can start from the first time these alleged incidents happened, which would be all the way back in 1965 or you can start from the first time these allegations were made, which would be back in 2005. We have chosen to go with the latter and follow the history of the allegations and court cases.

It all starts in 2005 when director of operations for the women’s basketball team of Temple University, Andrea Constand reports Cosby to Canadian authorities (she had moved to the neighboring country following the attack) and claims the comedian touched her inappropriately. The investigation starts. About a month later, a California lawyer Tamara Green goes on the Today Show and says that Bill drugged and sexually assaulted her back in the 1970s. A few days later, the DA of Montgomery Country decides not to bring criminal charges against Cosby based on Constand’s accusations.

In May 2005, Constand files a civil suit. It’s crucial to note that 13 more women act as Jane Doe witnesses. In June, one of them goes public – Beth Ferrier. In June 2006, another Jane Doe witness is revealed to be Barbara Bowman. In November, 2006 – a settlement is reached and the case is put to rest.

In November 2014, following a rape bit by comedian Hannibal Buress, Bowman gets an op-ed published in the Washington Post and it opens the flood gates. Over the next four months, more and more women come out with allegations that Cosby assaulted, raped, drugged or acted inappropriately around them. The women are Joan Tarshis, Linda Joy Traitz, Janice Dickinson, Carla Ferrigno, Lousia Moritz, Theresa Serignese, Kristina Ruehli, Renita Chaney Hill, Angela Leslia, Victoria Valentino, Jewel Allison, Judy Huth, Beth Ferrier, Helen HayesGloria Allred, Beverly Johnson, Chloe Goins, an accuser known as “Lisa”, Kathy KcKee, Linda Kirkpatrick, Lynn Neal, accuser known as “Kacey”, Cindra Ladd, Helen Gumpel, Linda Brown, LIse-Lotte Lublin, Heidi Thomas, and one of the original Jane Doe witnesses – Patricia.

In January 2015, LAPD announces that they will open an investigation into Chloe Goins’s claim as it is the first one that falls within the statute of limitations of the State Of California.

Bill Cosby mostly refuses to make any comments on the allegations, saying that he does not want to dignify such accusations with a comment. Some of his friends and past colleagues stand by him and say that it is impossible that these allegations are true. His family stands by him firmly and says they do not recognize the man that is being described by these allegations.

The last part of the story is very recent and it concerns the original case from the 2005. Under oath, Cosby admitted that he purchased drugs with the plan on using them on women. This comes from a testimony that was made public by the court after the Associated Press pushed for it for quite some time.

You may think that we have covered the whole seedy and horrific story a bit too factually and disconnectedly, but that was not our intention. We simply wanted to let the facts and the names speak for themselves. We have all heard and read the stories filled with horrendous details and we feel they need not be repeated.

What this case needs, and what media coverage of this revolting story needs, are facts.

Truth will set us free.