Why Is Bill Cosby Free Whilst We’re Still Trying To #FreeBritney?
trigger warning: abuse, sexual assault and rape
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The #FreeBritney saga has been ongoing and, thankfully, beginning to pick up steam. Whilst the public is outraged by the details coming to light surrounding Britney Spears’ conservatorship, it seems that America’s justice system is focusing its priorities elsewhere: letting sexual predator Bill Cosby walk free from prison after serving just over two years in prison.
A recent court hearing gave Britney a platform to speak her truth and expose her father, Jamie Spears, and those associated with her conservatorship, for abusing the system put into place to protect her back in 2008. According to her statement, under the conservatorship, she’s unable to marry her long-time partner, Sam Asghari, nor is she allowed to get pregnant, thanks to an IUD that she’s currently not permitted to remove.
Meanwhile, Bill Cosby is now a free man. Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in prison after being designated as a “sexually violent predator” under Pennsylvania law by Judge Steven O’Neill, after over 60 women came forward accusing him, spanning over five decades of abuse. Due to the Supreme Court overturning his conviction after he was promised by a prosecutor that he wouldn’t face charges, the release of Bill Cosby has sparked global outrage, further exacerbated by the excruciating plight of Britney Spears as she fights for her freedom.
Sadly, it seems to highlight that the American justice system finds it fair that a woman – guilty of nothing – can remain shackled psychologically, reproductively, financially, by a conservatorship and a court of law, whilst a man – who has left a trail of victims in his wake – is allowed to walk free. Bill Cosby having access to the liberties that Britney Spears has been deprived of and been fighting for, for countless years, illustrates that there are extreme flaws in the justice system that need to be addressed.
Even looking beyond the obvious gender aspect, Britney’s desperate plea to be released from her conservatorship and Cosby’s release overlap when it comes to one very important thing: believing victims. Talking to Judge Brenda Penny in court, Spears said:
“It's embarrassing and demoralizing what I've been through. And that's the main reason I've never said it openly. And mainly I didn't want to say it openly because I honestly don't think anyone would believe me.
“To be honest with you, that Paris Hilton story, on what they did to her at that school. I didn't believe any of it. I'm sorry. I'm an outsider, and I'll just be honest, I didn't believe it. And maybe I'm wrong. And that's why I didn't want to say any of this to anybody, to the public, because I thought people would make fun of me or laugh at me and say, ‘She's lying. She's got everything. She's Britney Spears.’ I'm not lying. I just want my life back. And it's been 13 years and it's enough.”
Similarly, when it comes to sexual abuse, victims stay quiet out of fear of their stories not being believed – a matter of their word against yours, something that clearly resonates with Spears. Cosby’s early release raises further concerns, namely victims coming forward and confronting their abusers. Talking about the court’s decision, Andrea Constand – Cosby’s victim, who he was found guilty of drugging and molesting in 2004 – said in a statement:
“Today’s majority decision regarding Bill Cosby is not only disappointing but of concern in that it may discourage those who seek justice for sexual assault in the criminal justice system from reporting or participating in the prosecution of the assailant or may force a victim to choose between filing either a criminal or civil action.”
When it comes to bringing abusers to justice and holding them to account, Cosby’s release is just one of the examples of victims winded by the decisions of a justice system that systemically fails them. It’s not just over the pond either; the UK has been criticised for its dismal figures surrounding the number of sexual assault and rape cases that result in prosecution.
The release of an abuser whilst a woman pleads to be saved from hers is an indescribable level of messed up, but sadly, yet appropriately, illustrates society as we know it and what is deemed acceptable against women in the eyes of the law.
Image credit: Free Britney LA
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