PIC: Andrea Constand in Toronto in 1987, as she began a successful basketball career. CreditRon Bull/The Toronto Star, via Associated Press
Though more than 40 women have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault, the task of convincing a jury that he is a sexual predator when his criminal trial begins next month will largely fall to just one — Andrea Constand.
Ms. Constand, who says Mr. Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004, is the only woman whose complaint has resulted in criminal charges. Many of the other women never called the police, or when they considered it, found that the statute of limitations had expired.
By coming forward, Ms. Constand is sure to confront the sort of intense scrutiny that most people do when publicizing claims of sexual assault. And her account, along with how she tells it, will be critically important, not only to the outcome of the case and to the Cosby legacy but also to the many other women who view her as their last chance for justice.
“She is the linchpin of the case,” said Lynne M. Abraham, a former Philadelphia district attorney and judge. “The whole case stands or falls on her. She is it.”....[READ MORE]