An alleged victim of Bill Cosby testified before lawmakers on Friday in support of a Nevada bill that will eliminate the statute of limitations in rape cases.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal , Lise-Lotte Lublin did not mention Cosby by name; however, her testimony left no question she was speaking of the comedian. Lublin detailed to lawmakers the sexual assault she alleges happened 25 years ago. Although the accuser says it is too late for her to seek justice, she wants other victims to have the opportunity.
“I will never see justice. And I didn’t do anything wrong. If I had had an idea of what had happened, I would have filed a report 25 years ago. I now understand that the law prevents the victim in my circumstances from seeking justice. Why would the law want to prevent me from seeking justice? So who is protecting the victim? The law is on his side.”
Lublin’s attorney, Gloria Allred, also testified before lawmakers on Assembly Bill 212. Allred explains that she represents multiple Bill Cosby accusers who have alleged being drugged and sexually assaulted by the comedian in Nevada. These alleged victims cannot file a civil lawsuit or criminal charges as the statute of limitations bars them from doing so.
Lise-Lotte’s husband, Benjamin, also testified before lawmakers about his own sexual assault that occurred when he was 13.
Even if Nevada’s statute of limitations, which is now four years, is changed, Bill Cosby will not be prosecuted, as the change would not be retroactive.
Nevada’s News 3 reports the only real opposition to the bill came from Attorney Lisa Rasmussmen said an extension of the current law would be better than eliminating the statute of limitations altogether.
“So our concern if this passes is that people will come forward and say this; ‘So and so did this to me 35 years ago, 25 years ago, even 40 years ago. It’s almost impossible to defend a case like that.”
Over 30 women have come forward since November to accuse Bill Cosby of drugging and sexual assault. The majority of these allegations fall outside of the time required to report a sexual assault, so Cosby will not face criminal charges. Three of the women filed a defamation lawsuit against the comedian. Cosby’s attorneys recently asked the judge in the case to throw the suit out as their client did nothing wrong when denying the sexual assault allegations lodged against him by the women involved.
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