Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs (54) was charged with rape for the third time this week. But he is by no means the only one who will have to answer to the judge for facts from the (distant) past. Actor Jamie Foxx, Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, photographer Terry Richardson and actor Bill Cosby – to name just a few – also have new complaints in their legs.
It is no coincidence that all these complaints are being filed now. The current increase in lawsuits is due to the Adult Survivors Act (ASA), which expired on November 24. This law gives victims of sexual abuse the opportunity to file charges, even if the offenses would normally be time-barred. But as the law expired, victims rushed to file suit before normal statutes of limitations come back into effect.
The effect was significant: more than 2,500 cases were filed last year. This law applies specifically to cases where the victims were adults at the time of the abuse, i.e. 18 years or older. Although the law was originally only introduced for one year, victim organizations are now calling for an extension or even a permanent change to the law. They emphasize that the current limitation periods do not take into account the complex way in which victims experience and process sexual abuse.
2023-11-25 16:57:39
#celebrities #suddenly #accused #rape
