Bill Crosby

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/bill-cosby-rape-allegations-explained-why-are-these-allegations-coming-out-now-why-didnt-these-women-come-forward-earlier-and-why-has-nobody-taken-legal-action-9874326.html

/// It is extremely unlikely that legal action could be taken against Cosby for any of the other alleged incidents, at least in part thanks to the statute of limitations on cases of rape and sexual assault that pertain in most US states. In California, for example, such cases cannot be prosecuted more than 10 years after the alleged offence, while in Pennsylvania the statute of limitations is 12 years. ///

Taking into consideration all of the old accusations now being levelled at some of our celebrities should we also have a statute of limitations?

[Gromit]

No.

If someone is guilty of a crime, they should not get away with it just because a few years have elapsed. Especially crimes against children or young people.

[ummmm]

No.

What about children who only got the courage to make a complaint many years later.

[2sp_]

No. The passage of time should never protect those that commit these crimes.

If we want to prevent cases being brought decades after the fact, we should change our attitudes towards those that report abuse and those that are seen as being beyond reproach.

[janbee]

No, never

[Svejk]

What about all the innocent dead people who'll be wrongly accused?

[ummmm]

How would you ever know they were innocent?

[anotheoldgit]

Quite agree, then may I ask is Bill Crosby long overdue in facing his accusers?

[2sp_]

Having a statute of limitations wouldn't stop people (innocent or guilty, dead or alive) being accused. It only prevents prosecution.

[hc4361]

His name is Bill Cosby.

No, there should be no statute of limitations for criminal offences.

[2sp_]

From the accused's point of view, surely if you were wrongly accused you would welcome your day in court and the chance to prove your innocence rather than it never reaching court as too much time had passed?

[Svejk]

Unless you were dead.^

[2sp_]

Svejk, having a statute of limitations isn't going to prevent dead people being accused.

[Old_Geezer]

You may well not welcome a day in court. If you had minimal confidence in your fellow citizens realizing something seemed plausible but it was all circumstantial. You may well be worried about a miscarriage of justice and want to stay well out. Depends on the circumstances.

[2sp_]

I can see that OG, but what if you knew it would never go to court and the accusations just wouldn't go away? Women are saying that Cosby raped and assaulted them and he won't defend himself in public and can't in court.

I have no idea if he is guilty of all the things he has been accused off, but wonder if he is innocent, how does he move on? And if he is guilty how do these women move on?

[Old_Geezer]

Noise always dies down in the end.

[ummmm]

He settled a case out of court.

Why?

[jennyjoan]

I was interfered with when I was 10 - no way could I report it now. Hope the *** is dead anyway.

[jennyjoan]

ba$$***

[jno]

ummmm, one possibility might be that he really did that one. Doesn't necessarily follow that he was guilty of any others. I have no idea whether he was or wasn't.

There are limitations here, but mostly covering civil litigation, not sexual crimes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limitation_Periods_in_the_UK

[Clanad]

Abuse of children, sexually or otherwise, usually has no statute of limitaitons here in the U.S. However, it's up to each State since most of those types of crimes aren't prosecuted under Federal Law.

When read in their entirety, the accusations seem to have alot of holes in them. In one case, the woman maintained, by her own admission, a relationship with Cosby for several years after the alleged "rape". I'm afraid it's one of those "she said, he said" things that'll not easily be resolved. I'm also concerned that more and more women seemingly come out of the woodwork... which can infer guilt on his part or "15 minutes of fame" the accusers part... Why 30 or 40 years after the supposed event?