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

[darleneoconnor]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13402845

Can these sroties ever be reported without a discussion of whether the woman is lying or provoked the man?

It's like Julian Assange all over again.

There was a french man being interviewed about it on News 24 and you could sense a different attitude between him and the British newsreader, Nicholas Owen. The french man was emphasising how bad a crime it was, whereas the newsreader seemed to be fishing for some 'rape myths'.

We'll see how this one pans out.

I worked as a chamber-maid (when I was a student) and is is exhausting, badly paid, depressing work and you do not get to finish (and get the hell out of the place) until you have cleaned all your allocated rooms. You often have a highly stressed Head housekeeper screaming for clean rooms. There is absolutely no way that any chamber maid has the time or inclination to start shagging the guests whilst on duty.

His defence team are going to have to come up with something better than this, even the ludicrous conspiracy theories were more believable.

well, obviously they are going to use the consent line. I would not be surprised if he got off. Because there will be a teeny bit of doubt in the jury's mind, her word against his, mustn't ruin a man's reputation when we're not 101% certain, etc etc.

There is nothing that puts a woman more in the mood for sex than scrubbing 15 toilets in a row.

He can't use the date rape excuse, he can't claim that she was drunk or wearing a mini-skirt. I think there is a high chance of a successful prosecution in this case.

'A source close to the defense later told The Post, "There may well have been consent."'

The Post = the Sun

This wasn't said in court at the time & it isn't in the NYT.

I think they will be under pressure to get him - especially if other women complain.

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/16/dominique-strauss-kahn-tristane-banon

He has a reputation for this kind of thing.

I have also worked as a chambermaid and it's bloody hard work to get all your rooms cleaned on time. I had no inclination to shag any of the guests - fat and old or otherwise

Conspiracy theories are useful to a defence because they can be applied in several scenarios.

Initially they are used to cast doubt on the occurrence of events or actions. If this fails and it is shown that events did occur, the conspiracy theory then shifts to focus on the motive by saying "the events occurred but it was a trap".

she's a single mum too so she may well have had to finish in time for a school or childcare pick-up.

I'm glad everyone thinks he won't get off. I really hope he won't, you just get so jaded after so many apparently open-and-shut cases where the jury still manages to find enough doubt to acquit.

sorry, I've overstated there, people haven't said he definitely won't get off.

I really hope this woman and her family don't get dragged through the mire. But it's looking likely.

So now he's saying "I wasn't there. And anyway, she consented"? Good stuff.

Dragging through the mire could go both ways, with mention being made of the women he's attacked in the past, and how female politicians and journalists avoid being alone with him. He might not like hearing that in court.

I would think he has less chance of getting off in the US than he would do in France.

New York, in particular, has a strong reputation for successful rape prosecutions. I hope they throw the book at the odious thug.

"I hate that 'women are always sexually available and gagging for it' crap"

So do I but I think, when it comes to a lot of these powerful, wealthy men, that statement is unfortunately, not far from their real life experience. Clinton, Berlusconi, the whole TV/Film mogul casting couch thing.... surrounded by women even though no-one would give any of these ugly old men a second look in normal circumstances. Listening to Molly Parkin on D.I.Ds the other day she described how, when introduced to Louis Armstrong as a virginal young thing he clasped her close, kissed her full on the lips and said 'tonight you're mine'... (she wriggled out of his clutches but it was obviously his M.O)

Judge said no bail (I think it's because he has the resources to flee the country)

The crimes he is being charged with can get him 74 years, they are also looking into similar conduct on a previous occasion. Apparently he had been warned by someone that his conduct in France will not be taken lightly in America. Also Austrian finance minister Maria Fekter called on him to consider his position, there is pressure for him to step down.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13426069

Leaving the country would be the reason for refusing bail. Also, the extradition arrangements between France and the US are very poor meaning that, if he left, they don't think they'd ever get him back. They've never succeeded with getting Polanski out of Switzerland, for example.

No no, with Polanski it was Switzerland that might have extradited him, but ended up not. France, where he lives most of the time, has a policy of never extraditing its own citizens (because of la gloire or something). So if Strauss-Kahn managed to get back to France, he'd be safe, though I can't see how he could continue at his job if he were unable to travel.

Doesn't that just make Sarkosy look even worse by basically saying it's okay to behave like that at home but best not do it abroad.

Well the way everyone was smiling rather indulgently in that dinner party clip that someone posted so perhaps it's considered pretty normal for men in power in France to assume they can have the women they want in the same way as they can have pretty much else? There's certainly some bloody dodgy attitudes there towards unfaithful men and the divorce laws don't do women any favours

Apologies for that rather stream of consciousness post

Actually this whole discussion has made me wonder about something (related to celadon's hubris and sense of entitlement comment yesterday). I've always been of the belief that rape is about power and taking something that isn't freely given and that the sexual excitement comes as a result of that (or is enhanced by it at least). But is there a difference between a rapist who goes out to rape in a premeditated way (and judging by Tristane Banon's account, that would include DSK) and one who is an opportunist, who might rape a woman sleeping in bed next to him or one who has had too much to drink but wouldn't set up a situation in such a way as to enable him to rape a woman forcibly? And if we accept the premise that regular porn users will ultimately seek out ever more hardcore porn in order to achieve the same level of thrill, does that apply to rapists too?

Sorry, that's all a bit garbled and probably a pointless line of thinking but would be interested in people's thoughts (I would start a thread only I can't cope with the rape apologists)