PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — "This is a really sad day for sexual violence survivors."
These words from Dr. Monique Howard, the former executive director of Women Organized Against Rape, reflect the feelings many sexual violence survivors and those who advocate for them may have about Wednesday's Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision.
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"This is a trigger. And so, what survivors will be feeling — today, tomorrow, for a while — is anxiety. They may not sleep well. They may be very angry," Howard said.
"For them, they may have ... lived vicariously through this case, and so for this outcome, it's very off-putting. It's very stressful."
She said that, on such a high-profile case, the message will likely be detrimental.
"Twelve ... of his peers found him to be guilty, and a mere technicality negates all of that," she said. "Unfortunately, for many people right now, it tells them that the justice system may not be on their side."
Couple that with Cosby's attitude about the crimes, and Howard believes this decision could also make it more difficult to prosecute sexual violence in the future.
"He did say he was not remorseful. Bill Cosby was not remorseful," she said.
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"Many people did not believe any of Bill Cosby's victims, and so when we say 'Why don't people come forward?' this kind of supports the why."
Howard said the decision to overturn the verdict has left many survivors feeling as though their experiences don't matter.
"This also says that, if you have power and privilege, you will not be accused," she said.
However, Howard believes the decision could reinvigorate the #MeToo movement and other advocacy for women.
"I think what happened when Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein were convicted, we may have gotten a little complacent," she said. "We have to get back out there and advocate harder, and get in front of our district attorneys and get bills and resolutions passed at the state level and at the local level."