I’m encouraged to see that Donna Motsinger prevailed in her civil case against Bill Cosby. Ms. Motsinger expressed that she was happy with the outcome and shared after the trial that feeling believed was deeply important to her.
Cases like this matter because they are examples of how civil justice can sometimes be the only justice a survivor can seek accountability and be heard.
For many survivors they are not able to obtain justice through criminal legal system due to systemic barriers, including:
• A lack of trauma-informed training for those taking initial reports
• High burdens of proof that are difficult to meet, especially in cases involving delayed disclosure
• Non-prosecution agreements, as we’ve seen in both the Cosby and Epstein cases
• Statutes of limitations that do not align with decades of research and lived experience showing it might be decades before a survivor feels safe to come forward.
California has taken meaningful steps by extending statutes of limitations and creating temporary lookback windows. These changes matter. They are the reason Ms. Motsinger was able to pursue her case.
But the truth is trauma does not operate on a deadline.
The impact of sexual violence can last a lifetime. Survivors deserve the opportunity to seek justice when they are ready without being barred by arbitrary time limits.
Accountability should not expire. And neither should a survivor’s right to be heard.