Dominique Strauss-Kahn revisited

[jyl]

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.

Originally Posted by jyl

Rape is not the same thing as sex with a hotel maid. One is a serious crime, the other is anywhere from idiotic to sleazy. In my opinion, both disqualify you from being head of the IMF but only one takes you to jail.

So, was it rape? We do have a system where you are legally innocent unless proven guilty by a jury trial. If the case falls apart, then DSK is legally innocent. Period.

Then there is reputational innocence. In extreme cases, I guess most of us consider someone guilty even if he managed to beat the rap. O.J. is the perfect example. But the DSK case is hardly the O.J. case. No-one consents to be knifed to death. People do consent to sex.

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

........ Even if it was consensual, it's a scandal because of the social and professional positions of the two involved. ...........

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

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

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.

[widebody911]

Why would the 'victim' need a lawyer?

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by widebody911

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.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Why would the 'victim' need a lawyer?

Because she's not the victim?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

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.
Sherwood

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.

Originally Posted by 911pcars

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

Sherwood

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.

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

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

[Cloggie]

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.

[Aurel]

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.