Bill Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault with less than 20 days to go before the statute of limitations would have expired. Scores of other women alleged that Cosby...

Bill Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault with less than 20 days to go before the statute of limitations would have expired. Scores of other women alleged that Cosby assaulted them, but for most the statute of limitations had expired and no charges were possible. It is argued that like murder, there should be no statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault as only about one-third of rapes are reported and it is one of the most under-investigated crimes. Rape victims do not report their assaults due to social stigma and secondary victimization by the criminal justice system. The Bill Cosby case has given rise to what is called the “Cosby Effect”—women who were emboldened to report previously unreported rapes, but if the statute of limitations has expired, there is no justice for the victim. Should there be a statute of limitations for rape?