Cosby accuser asks why no one listened until now in Washington Post essay

With a failed social media campaign that turned into rape memes going viral, a run-in with Philly mag's Victor Fiorillo at a Veterans Day commemoration, comparisons to Eminem, and a Columbia Journalism Review article questioning why the news media doesn't press him on much of anything, Bill Cosby has had a challenging week. Now, with the Washington Post's publication today of "Bill Cosby raped me. Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story?" by accuser Barbara Bowman, that probably isn't going to change.

Bowman's story came to light in 2004, when she was asked to testify in another alleged Cosby rape case involving Andrea Constand, who settled the suit for an undisclosed sum. That story, however, gained attention with the publication of a 2006 Philly mag story by Bob Huber, "Dr. Huxtable & Mr. Hyde." From there, Bowman also spoke with outlets like People and Newsweek, along with ex-Philly TV news anchor Alycia Lane.

All that, however, didn't lead to much widespread awareness, with much of that developing last month after comedian Hannibal Buress performed a bit here in Philly revolving around the Cosby rape allegations. Following Burress' bit going viral, Bowman then told her story to the Daily Mail, leading to her essay today in the Washington Post.

Still, though, through all that, Bowman wonders one thing: Why did it take this long for stories about her 1985 rape, allegedly by Cosby, to get this amount of attention? And why did it happen only after a man brought attention to it? Via her Washington Post essay:

Only after a man, Hannibal Buress, called Bill Cosby a rapist in a comedy act last month did the public outcry begin in earnest. The original video of Buress's performance went viral. This week, Twitter turned against him, too, with a meme that emblazoned rape scenarios across pictures of his face.

While I am grateful for the new attention to Cosby's crimes, I must ask my own questions: Why wasn't I believed? Why didn't I get the same reaction of shock and revulsion when I originally reported it? Why was I, a victim of sexual assault, further wronged by victim blaming when I came forward? The women victimized by Bill Cosby have been talking about his crimes for more than a decade. Why didn't our stories go viral? 

Unfortunately, our experience isn't unique. The entertainment world is rife with famous men who use their power to victimize and then silence young women who look up to them. Even when their victims speak out, the industry and the public turn blind eyes; these men's celebrity, careers, and public adulation continue to thrive. Even now, Cosby has a new comedy special coming out on Netflix and NBC is set to give him a new sitcom. 

Bowman, who stresses that she has "nothing to gain by continuing to speak out" because she's never received any money from Cosby's camp, has since gone on to become a volunteer for Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE), a victim advocacy group that aims to encourage victims to speak out against sexual violence.

To that end, Bowman also says that she hopes to abolish statute of limitations in the cases like hers:

He can no longer be charged for his crimes against me because the statute of limitations is long past. That is also wrong. There should be no time limits on reporting these crimes, and one of my goals is to call for legislation to that end. Famous and wealthy perpetrators use their power to shame and silence their victims. It often takes years for young women to overcome those feeling and gain the confidence to come forward (by which point physical evidence is long gone). Our legal system shouldn't silence them a second time. 

The Washington Post included an editor's note with her essay indicating that neither Cosby nor his staff returned multiple requests for comment — though he has denied previous accusations. And Cosby has never been charged with rape or sexual assault.

[Washington Post]