Bill Cosby - What is actually going on?

While the scandal about Bill Cosby has been widely covered and publicised, I for one feel as though a lot of people really aren't sure what is going on.

Who is Bill Cosby?  He's a 77 year old American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist.  He's probably best known to our generation for "The Bill Cosby Show" which also featured a very young Raven Symone from Disney's "That's So Raven".  More recently, however, his name has been associated with a sexual abuse scandal that is sweeping the globe.

What has happened so far?

Back in 2000, Lachele Covington alleged that Cosby had groped her in his apartment

In 2004, he was accused by Andrea Constand of drugging and fondling her.

In 2005 a California lawyer Tamara Lucier Green alleged she had been drugged and assaulted by Cosby in 1969.

Later that same year Beth Ferrier claimed he had, in 1984, drugged her coffee and when she awoke hours later it was evident that some of her clothes had been removed.

Now, in 2014 journalist Joan Tashis, supermodel Janice Dickinson, actress Louisa Moritz, Carla Ferrigno, nurse Therese Sergnese, former Playboy Playmate Victoria Valentino and other anonymous women have come forward to say that similarly to the cases of Covington, Constant, Green and Ferrier they too had been drugged, sexually assaulted and/or raped by Cosby between 1965 and 2004.

Back in 2000, police decided no crime had been committed against Lachele Covington, and that all actions had been consensual.  Cosby was not questioned.

In 2005, Andrea Constand was told her case had 'insufficient credible and admissible evidence'.  Constand went on to file a civil claim against Cosby a month later, 13 other women came forward to testify with similar experiences.  This was settled out of court.

In 2005 Cosby's lawyer said that Cosby did not know Tamara Lucier Green and the events she described had not happened.

Later that same year Cosby denied claims made my Beth Ferrier, no charges were made.

Now, in 2014 Cosby's website says in regards to allegations made by journalist Joan Tashis, supermodel Janice Dickinson, actress Louisa Moritz, Carla Ferrigno, nurse Therese Sergnese, former Playboy Playmate Victoria Valentino and other anonymous women, 'Mr Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment'.

Which surely in itself, is a comment.

A further statement by Cosby's lawyer called the claims 'unsubstantiated' and 'fantastical' and claimed that they 'escalated far past the point of absurdity'.  He added 'It makes no sense that not one of these new women who just came forward for the first time now never asserted a legal claim back at the time they allege they had been sexually assaulted'.

And that is what got me.  I cannot begin to imagine the cataclysmic psychological pain this experience will have undoubtedly caused these women.  To live with that is punishment enough, without being vilified for coming forward.  Michelle Hurder, one of the most recent actresses to come forward with claims has said that she was instructed to 'never tell anyone' what had happened.  She said it was evident that she was not the only person working on the "Cosby Show" set that this was happening to.

 That fact that these women have had to experience such terrible crimes against them, to be told to not speak out about it and then to be questioned over why they waited to speak out is beyond patronising.

The question, surely, should not be why are the accusers only now coming forward, but why are they only now being taken seriously.  This is a problem, a very real problem.