Rape is not the same thing as sex with a hotel hooker. One is a . . .

Oh, never mind, you can see where the case is going.

Not sure of the insinuation you describe or I'm misunderstanding. It sounds like you're saying the Khan episode was only a scandal because of the financial and social disparities between two consenting adults.

If so, then there's no scandal when consenting adults are from the same social strata. No harm, no foul. That right?

Sherwood

There's certainly no scandal when two nobodies have consensual sex. When one is a maid and the other a powerful world figure, well, yes. Then there is a scandal. I don't make the rules, that's just how it works.

Why would the 'victim' need a lawyer?

Because Gloria Allred is famous and represents every female "victim."

Seriously though, she probably didn't need a lawyer until her story came under suspicion. Now she really, really needs a serious criminal defense lawyer. She's looking at deportation under the best of circumstances and likely jail time beforehand.

Because she's not the victim?

Of course the Khan episode is only a scandal because of of the financial and social disparities between the parties. For one thing, there is the possibility of coercion due only to Khan's position relative to the woman's, which makes it a juicy story. The fact that a guy with his money and power would have a dalliance of any kind, consensual or not, with a maid gets tongues wagging. The story if rife with possibilities for gossip and scandal.

No, not 'no harm no foul." Rape is a crime. But it would be a legal matter and the media wouldn't care. There wouldn't be a scandal because a maid being assaulted by a bus boy it isn't interesting.

Probably the reason why stuff like this sells so many Celeb magazines and front and center in the nightly news instead of knowing the difference between Iraq and Iran/North and South Korea, etc. YMMV.

Sherwood

Several plausible stories here.....many of which have been speculated upon.

While I suspect DSK is a philanderer and is happy to bang any number of women, I also suspect that even with his appetite for the ladies he would not be stupid enough to actually rape the woman. Wheedle, ask and cajole....definitely, take things further than perhaps the woman really wanted..almost for certain. Rape...in the sense of forcible sex, very unlikely.

Personally I subscribe to the idea that DSK needed a little relief, the maid flirted a little....he cajoled a little and next thing you know he is getting a BJ or whatever. Maid undoubtedly knew he was a VIP....she goes off to clean the next room, recalls that she still has to clean DSK's...gets back, talks to her friend and that is where somewhere between regret and avarice the plan to go to the police is hatched.

But she did not think it through...seems like she has a few bad connections and habits....and now she is on the hot seat.

I just can't figure out why she did not hit him up for a bunch of cash and move on....and that is where the possibility of regret that she did the deed with a fat old French guy may come in.

Mind you, the most offensive thing about this is that horrible perp walk where any presumption of innocence is pretty well shot.....terrible American habit IMO.

D.

At the end of the day, it would appear that DSK is not any worse than BJ Clinton...and at least no good cigars were wasted in that case.