Counterpoint: Consider timing of Bill Cosby accuser

COUNTERPOINT

Consider timing of Cosby accuser

Like most baby boomers who grew up being entertained by Bill Cosby, I have always liked the guy. I realize I may have to amend that sentiment now based on allegations by Barbara Bowman, among others, who says she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the entertainer ("Why I will not be silent," Nov. 18).

While her account of the sexual assault by Cosby is believable, it is only circumstantial and, short of a confession, will remain so. She made the penultimate mistake of a sex assault victim (the ultimate being to tell no one): She did not immediately report the assault to police.

Most people know evidence can be time sensitive. An expeditious police investigation is essential in developing a case that may include getting search warrants and access to witnesses. Victim and witness memories are best plied contemporaneously.

After years of investigating sexual assaults, I am neither blaming nor judging Bowman for her failure to report. I know there are psychological and circumstantial factors that often act as barriers to reporting. In fairness to the suspect, however, there needs to be clear evidence of an assault to arrest and convict someone of this very serious crime.

While Bowman is brave in her steadfast assertion of victimization at Cosby's hands, she may be doing a disservice to future victims by suggesting that celebrities can basically circumvent the criminal justice system. Celebrity status is no longer a factor in adjudicating cases for modern police departments.

Cosby's silence, meanwhile, while supported by our legal system and recommended by most attorneys, is not usually used by innocent people. It is difficult not to express one's innocence when falsely accused. If the accusations are true, they are made more contemptible by a celebrity who used his status to violate a young woman who was vulnerable.

I remember watching Cosby's 1983 stand-up routine, "Himself," and thinking, here's a comedian who doesn't use profanity and believes in the sanctity of family. I wish there were more entertainers like him. I guess that's why they call it acting.