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.

[TheCrackFox]

Glad that the police have taken it seriously. I imagine, with his very influential position, that he has friends in very high places.

[darleneoconnor]

the way it is reported in the pressmakes him sound more guilty than the way it's being made to sound on tv.

I've watched several news reports of it now, on different channels and none used the word 'brutal'. They also fail to mention that he was naked and made a swift exit from the scene afterwards.

[darleneoconnor]

now it's being reported that his wife believes him and is standing by him

[edam]

Yes, funny how reporting of any other sort of crime never includes speculation about whether the victim is making it up.

[Rohanda]

The issue I had read today was whether he should be bailed, as he has to lead some very important meetings in the coming weeks.

Well, I am sure they have a business contingency plan for if ever any of their top execs drop dpown dead suddenly. My org. has such things and I suspect most others do. His personal prescence at such appts. would not hold up the serious business of global economics, as his legal team may argue.

this is outwith NY's bail policy in these matters generally. I suspect he will be bailed, as is possibly ok ( in the UK he would be), and the alleged victim will need a mass of support.

[EldritchCleavage]

My DH and I were just discussing this today. DH remarked drily it's a good job the hotel wasn't in Toronto, because 'Woman in maid's outfit complains of sexual assault' would not be likely to lead to an investigation there.

Bit flippant, but we both feel so pessimistic and dispirited about how these issues are STILL being treated and reported.

[larrygrylls]

Celadon,

You are struggling to think of a plausible scenario?! Then you either lack imagination or are hugely ignorant of French politics.

DSK is contesting the French Presidency in a year's time and he is the hot favourite. Sarkozy (or someone in his party) could easily arrange for a maid to cry rape against DSK and, even if unproven, he ceases to be a serious presidential contender. It is definitely motive enough and a plausible scenario.

I think we need to wait to see the evidence on this one before jumping to conclusions. Most of the French (women and men) seem to think it is a set up.

[larrygrylls]

Prince,

You are right I did wander accidentally into the feminist section. No interest in posting here. Just saw an interesting topic and added my view. I am sure the topic will appear in "chat" or "AIBU" and lead to an interesting discussion.

Just for your info:

If someone makes an stupid statement ("no plausible scenario"), then they are either ignorant or stupid. This is true whether they are called John or Jane. And, in the hypothetical situation that this is a political set up (I did not say that it was, merely that we needed to see more evidence) then it would be "crying rape".

But I know that this is a section where argument is used ad hominem rather than dealing with facts so I will continue to discuss it when it pops up elsewhere.

[Okonomiyaki]

I have been particularly at the BBC coverage. All this talk of a colourful love life, wtf? Agree that a lot of the reports seem to conflate this and sexual assault. It's not a great message.

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

Yes because if there's one allegation that is always taken seriously it's rape, Larry.

I don't know the truth of this and nor does anyone else on here, but I tend to give people making rape allegations the benefit of the doubt unless there's good reason to believe otherwise. And "ooh it's all a conspiracy" is not a good reason.

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

I am pretty aghast at that article - "womanising" does not equal "not many female journalists are prepared to interview him alone these days".

What - because he's a "womaniser" so tempting that they won't be able to resist his charms? Or because he's a sex attacker, essentially?

I see another woman, the wife of a former minister, quoted in the Telegraph article: "Who hasn't been cornered by Dominique Strauss-Kahn?"

Can't believe no-one has stopped him before now. Terrifying that he has so much power.

[Bue]

celadon, I thought that suggestion on R4 was utterly bizarre as well. The interviewee handled it very well though - completely shot him down! I think it's possible the interviewer didn't quite mean it the way it came across - I think he might have been trying to suggest that DS-K is an even more unsavoury person than originally thought, so should he have been open to more scrutiny by the French press. But I am trying really hard to give the benefit of the doubt there!