IMF head Strauss-Khan charged with sexual assault, attempted rape and imprisonment of hotel maid in New York

No bail. Wow.

Yes, I live in France as well and I haven't heard anyone say that it was a conspiracy yet

I also live in France and everybody I know has been making 'well, surprise, surprise' type comments or 'maybe he'll finally get his comeuppance'.

Strauss-Kahn has a reputation for his sexual predation in France. Journalists carefully put it across without actually saying it clearly IYSWIM (although some female journalists have been pretty direct).

I haven't heard anybody spout Sarkozy/Presidential conspiracy theories .

What were the other people there saying in response? (My french is pretty crap but I could work out most of what she said, not the men as they were mumbling).

VERY weird to hear an account of a sexual assault alternated with pictures of pleasant dinner party things.

Yes, it's appalling. And the degree of pre-meditation (asking her to a completely empty apartment to interview him, rather than his office or his home) is absolutely chilling. He's a fucking monster

It is shocking to watch really.... Everybody is smiling and normalizing it in the video. Imagine if, instead of describing in detail an attempt of rape, she was describing any other crime (e.g. stealing money). Nobody would nod their heads and say....well, we all know he has a problem with money. French, in particular, socialist French should be very happy to get rid of this guy instead of moaning about conspiracy theories and keeping Sarkozy for longer (and I have seen quite a few doing this in the last 24 hours)

It's really weird the way she's smiling as she describes her assault :(

They are probably like normal people in that respect, people cheat doesn't really matter about their position in society.

Although the sense of entitlement might be what went on with Strauss-Kahn, I have read that he had a bad reputation with women.

Maybe the risk is part of the thrill?

Or perhaps they are just so used to getting what they want sexually with no repercussions that they assume it will always be like that.

Ooh, yes please aliceliddell, I'm saving up for a Situaton Room from which to acheive World Domination and the extra cash would come in handy.

I won't work in Sharia law countries, though, as I don't fancy being stoned for adultery.

Quote from TeiTetua's link:

'Like all great political animals, he has trouble controlling himself.'

Fascinating metaphorical language (the BBC story also describes DSK as a 'big beast', not a term ever used of female politicians). The implication is that the leader of the pride naturally takes any lioness he likes the look of.

It is of course a totally ridiculous argument, especially given that being a master politician requires an extraordinary level of self-control in the political arena.

There was a book last year that talked about Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his attitude toward women: "However, the author claims the IMF affair [his affair with an IMF employee a few years ago] may only be the tip of the iceberg, quoting French actress Danielle Evenou as saying: "Who hasn't been cornered by Dominique Strauss-Kahn?" She tells of another female Socialist MP who claims she makes sure she is never alone in a room with him."

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/7701145/Dominique-Strauss-Khan-in-sex-book-claims.html

You'd think that a Great Man would be careful to act in a way worthy of his magnificence. But no.

If he'd taken that Air France flight home, he was planning to meet Angela Merkel on Sunday. Maybe she had a narrow escape.

Eldritch 11.03 - Yes, the list of feminist conspiracy rape criers exists. It is now open to new applicants. Would you like me to put your name down? It's good m[oney, especially considering that's what we do every Saturday night anyway.

Have already tried... It is so shocking to see this 'every body' knows... And how she also explains at the end that she did not press charges because she did not want to be remembered as the 'woman' who had problems with a politician. The interview, the way she also normalizes the terrible situation is so telling about how these guys manage to keep escaping any punishment

Sorry, cross-post! But eeek. I am appalled.

(Good thing she wasn't wearing a low-cut top, eh? The sight of a nice pair of mammary glands is often too much for a red-blooded male to bear.)

Hi camaleon,

My French is rather ropey - any chance you could mention a couple of the key points?

Some of the sadder posts on the Relationships board give insights into the 'grey' areas between sexual persuasion, coercion and outright violence.... and the ease with which some perpetrators can move along the spectrum of sexually abusive behaviour.

It is the interview in which Tristane Banon described how DSK tried to rape her in a TV programme in 2007. His name bleeped out, and there is a full table of men nodding their heads and acknowledging that 'everybody knows' about his behavior. It is sad to see too that she explains that she was dressing conservatively, thus not in a 'provoking' way I guess

What's the gist, camaleon?