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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Strauss-Kahn rape case 'near collapse'

World Jul. 01, 2011 - 01:40PM JST ( 29 )

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29 Comments

0

MrDogJul. 01, 2011 - 11:49AM JST

issues with his accuser’s credibility

Oh, what a surprise!

One of the officials tells the Times that the woman has repeatedly lied since making the initial allegation May 14.

I'm betting she started lying long before then...
0

papasmurfinjapanJul. 01, 2011 - 12:19PM JST

He's already been dragged through the mud by most media outlets including a libelous "guilty before proven innocent" article in Time titled "What Makes Powerful Men Act Like Pigs"...
0

VirtuosoJul. 01, 2011 - 12:52PM JST

Even if he's exonerated, Homeland Security will find some way to keep him from ever re-entering the US. Bet he's already on the no-flight blacklist.
0

BreitbartVictoriousJul. 01, 2011 - 01:04PM JST

Even if he's exonerated, Homeland Security will find some way to keep him from ever re-entering the US. Bet he's already on the no-flight blacklist.

He has a home in New York, in addition to his European residences. Not bad, for a "socialist."
2

chewitupJul. 01, 2011 - 02:44PM JST

She had no credibility? Of course she doesn't! She is not rich and she is an immigrant from Africa. Guilty until proven innocent, but you can see why a wealthy powerful rapist would target this woman, can't you?

Also interesting to note how she has supposedly been "lying". Not getting her story confused or suffering from a less than perfect memory, but LYING. And any specific examples of it in the article? Nope. Not one. I am sure Strauss-Kahn can keep his story straight. All he has to say is it was consensual over and over like a mantra. But she has to go into extreme sick detail. We can expect some variation in the story if a woman was raped for goodness sake! Rape is a traumatic experience!

I am wondering if someone at AP has recently received a substantial addition to their bank account via Strauss-Kahn himself! The article is as pro-Strauss as it is flimsy.
0

SmorkianJul. 01, 2011 - 04:16PM JST

I am wondering if someone at AP has recently received a substantial addition to their bank account via Strauss-Kahn himself! The article is as pro-Strauss as it is flimsy.

It's all over other media outlets, not just the AP.

This will all sort itself out, and I am sure we'll hear the whole story in due time.
0

LivvieJul. 01, 2011 - 04:17PM JST

So the moral of the story is, "Don't have a 'questionable' background if you are planning on accusing a powerful man of rape". It always comes to this. I can hear the lawyers pleading their case now. " How could he rape this woman? She sells drugs! She launders money! She's from Guinea!". Why do they even need to tell us where she is from? How is it pertinent to this case?
0

smithinjapanJul. 01, 2011 - 05:24PM JST

Whether or not Strauss is guilty of the crime he's being accused of, there is certainly reasonable doubt, now. The only way I can see the prosecution (and judge/jury) ignoring whatever dubious past this woman may have is if they are using sexual history (rape shield).
0

TriumvereJul. 01, 2011 - 05:57PM JST

Well, this is rather vague and contradictory.

One part of the article claims that there is no issue with the charges, only with her background, and that the "proof against him is substancial." The other part is saying that they are considering dropping the charges.

The first is from the ADA. The second from an "anonymous source."

If Mr. Straus-Kahn is innocent I hope the system will return the appropriate verdict. Likewise if he is guilty. Til then, I am inclined to ignore anything anonymous sources have to say about the matter.
1

CosJul. 01, 2011 - 06:05PM JST

"If Mr. Straus-Kahn is innocent "

Innocent, he is not. DNA proves he had sex with her.

If she is what they say... she could still be raped. A liar can be raped. A criminal can be raped. And rapist should be punished anyway.

Not guilty of rape, he might be. If she consented, he shouldn't go to jail.

But he will be forever a politician that was stupid enough to sleep with a hotel maid controled by mafia. His career is terminated.

Unless they can prove that she raped him. Who knows ?
1

LFRAgainJul. 01, 2011 - 07:45PM JST

Wow. This has got be one of the most blatant smear jobs against a rape victim I've ever seen.

The defense for Mr. Strauss-Kahn may as well skip the niceties and issue the following statement to the press: "Well, maybe he did rape her. Maybe he didn't. But look at what kind of person she is. She was asking for it." Go with an old classic.

And who says the ridiculously wealthy aren't above the law?
0

ihavegreatlegsJul. 01, 2011 - 08:05PM JST

Money talks.
-1

MadvertsJul. 01, 2011 - 09:32PM JST

Bah.

As I said when he was initially arrested, I hope that none of you are ever called up for jury service.

And LFR, I always enjoy reading your level-headed posts, but I'm surprised to read your comments on this matter. I'm not sure how you can claim the alleged victim has been smeared - or at least no more so opposed to the alleged rapist, who has by and large been tried by the press and the general public before ever entering a courtroom. DSK cannot expect to receive a fair trial no matter how much money the man has got. (And, speaking as a French resident, I don't even like the geezer)

There are so many possible things that may or may not have gone on in that plush hotel room, we'll probably never really know what actually happened, and as far as I'm aware there are no witnesses, so it will be a case of his word against hers anyway!
0

MadvertsJul. 01, 2011 - 10:26PM JST

Oh, and the most important point was the one I forgot. It's the prosecution that are bringing the alleged victim's reliability into question. How on earth can that be construed as smearing someone?

I'll be interested to see what the prosections reasons are, but it must surely be fodder for DSK's $2500/hour lawyers to wipe the floor.
1

LegrandeJul. 01, 2011 - 10:42PM JST

DSK apparently has quite a "history" as well, lest everyone forget
-1

MadvertsJul. 01, 2011 - 11:11PM JST

Yes indeed a history, but that of a womanizer not a rapist, but nice try.

The maid also has a "history" as you put it. The latest reports state she lied on her application for asylum from her home country of Guinea. Not that that is any great surprise, I wager most immigrants do that.

What is probably the tit-bit that may well scuttle this case is the maid has apparently lied about details about a prior sexual assault.......
0

MadvertsJul. 02, 2011 - 12:22AM JST

Your link doesn't work. Page not found.

A French journalist did come out with half-baked allegations after the arrest, but she was probably a gold-digger.

I'm not defending DSK, just the presumption of innocence. I won't bother wasting my time explaining that to you in light of your last paragraph....
1

LegrandeJul. 02, 2011 - 12:44AM JST

Of course she was a gold-digger with a half-baked allegation, you were there, right? Talk about presuming.

Getting back to DSK, other Sofitel hotel employees are on record saying he came on to them as well-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/dominique-strauss-kahn/8528493/Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-new-claims-of-sexual-misconduct-add-to-pressure-on-former-IMF-chief.html

And if the following link concerning DSK's past sexual attack doesn't yield results, all one need do is google "Tristane Banon"-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/dominique-strauss-kahn/8528493/Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-new-claims-of-sexual-misconduct-add-to-pressure-on-former-IMF-chief.html

The bottem line is that either a lot of women who don't know each other are willing to waste time and money on making up stories, or DSK's admitted philandering has a tendancy to cross the line when he is refused.
-1

Eric SchneiderJul. 02, 2011 - 01:30AM JST

This has got be one of the most blatant smear jobs against a rape victim I've ever seen...

I'm not so sure now. Part of the NYT article that is omitted here is that the police now have a taped conversation of the woman with one of her imprisoned cronies where, after the fact, she discusses if she should press charges in hopes of getting a payout. What most people don't realize is that, in the US, there is no such thing as a confidential conversation between a prisoner and anybody other than that prisoner's lawyer. This is the piece of evidence that is giving the prosecutor a huge problem.

So, did DSK have sex with her. Seems like. Was it consensual? Maybe. Is the woman looking for a payout rather than justice? Seems like. Or maybe the two are the same in her mind. In any case, the prosecution is in trouble and they know it. Sort of like that college team and the stripper at a party a few years ago.
-1

LegrandeJul. 02, 2011 - 01:48AM JST

We're talking about the former head of the IMF, who's gone to bat for all the major captains of multinational commerce and industry. If they want a taped conversation of a women who everyone has their eye on thinking it's a good idea to discuss entrapment in a US prison with a convict, they'll make it happen. And some people will actually believe it, because we all know everything which appears in the news is true- and everything all the DSK's accusers are saying of course must be false.

"Oh, look, a rich old white guy. Maybe if I do it with him I can entrap him, especially as I am a single mother African immigrant. And while concerned authorities are watching me I shall discuss how to catch the big fish with my criminal friend in a jail under surveillance cameras"...Yes, this seems very plausible indeed, much moreso than a man with a checkered past revisiting past transgressions...
-1

tmtmsnbJul. 02, 2011 - 01:48AM JST

How many victims of false accusations! All men need digital vice recorders or hidden cameras for self protection when there are chances of close encounter with female kind.
1

MadvertsJul. 02, 2011 - 02:04AM JST

legrande

"Of course she was a gold-digger with a half-baked allegation, you were there, right? "

The alleged incident happened years ago yet she only comes out with it when the man's be arrested?

Yeah I stick by my comments.

" I suppose you believe a 31 year-old mother was lusting after a 61 year-old bag-of-a man and just couldn't resist his advances."

You were, there right?
0

chewitupJul. 02, 2011 - 03:21AM JST

It's the prosecution that are bringing the alleged victim's reliability into question.

Nobody ever bought a prosection off. Never. And I mean never ever. Also, a prosecution never lost confidence in the plaintiff for reasons other than the facts of the case. Never.

The latest reports state she lied on her application for asylum from her home country of Guinea.

Oh, thank you so so much for that relavant piece of data! I can assure you that I never lied about anything, ever. So if I get raped, you can trust me. But someone who lied to make it to the first world? All they do is lie. Right.

The alleged incident happened years ago yet she only comes out with it when the man's be arrested?

It happens so often, one would think you would understand it now. Sexual assault victims tend to be braver in number. Why could that be I wonder? Well look at the article. It goes out of its way to call the plaintiff a liar, which is a rare event. But what was the lie? Doesn't say. Maybe its the asylum thing?

I guess you have to be snow white or rape doesn't count.
0

chewitupJul. 02, 2011 - 03:34AM JST

where, after the fact, she discusses if she should press charges in hopes of getting a payout.

Key words are "after the fact". If she got raped why shouldn't she want a pay out? Some women might feel better if he was in jail and some might feel better with money. I don't see a problem. Before the fact? Then you might have something.

You know, a rape trial is no fun. Most women don't want to go through that hell unless there is some sort of incentive. Friends of rape victims often try to offer them incentive, because most don't want to go through with it. Why? Because she will get the hell scrutinized out of her, that's why. She got into the country no problem and has been here how long? Now she files a rape charge and now they really pour over those documents! What the hell?

I am right with Legrand. Acting like there is an even chance she walked into that room and had consensual sex with grandpa all the sudden definitely suspends belief. Everyone knows it boils down to "he said she said" but if this was a setup, a man so dumb to take that bait deserves the rape charge and deserves to be found guilty. Otherwise we open a big fat door to getting lots of women raped. I don't want to give anyone the benefit of the doubt if the best he can come up with is he was hella stupid. We let that go and soon its all we will hear. I think we owe women better. Lots of cases I am willing to entertain the entrapment idea, but this one is way, way out there. Its ridiculous. I hope we have more to go on than the choices of 1) she is lying about rape to get cash because she lied on an application form and 2) he actually somehow believes she wanted him because his towel dropped. Give me a break!
0

sfjp330Jul. 02, 2011 - 04:18AM JST

sfjp330May. 19, 2011 - 06:53AM JST There seems to be more than a bit of speculation that he was set up. He probably has alot of enemies that are looking to ruin his political aspirations. The fact he's so willing to undergo forensic body examination says a lot and the timing just before he's due to put his name forward for the French Presidential elections is reason enough to question what I understand to be an unsupported allegation. There might be a possiblity that he came out of the shower and cleaning lady was frustrated over her job and the whole thing didn't turn into a horrible situation. She freaks out, as anyone would with a naked guy behind you and he tries to grab her and calm her and it all heads south after that. Wait until investigation is complete and there might be a twist to this story.

TriumvereMay. 19, 2011 - 07:13AM JST There might be a possiblity that he came out of the shower and cleaning lady was frustrated over her job and the whole thing didn't turn into a horrible situation. She freaks out, as anyone would with a naked guy behind you and he tries to grab her and calm her and it all heads south after that. Wait until investigation is complete and there might be a twist to this story.

Triumvere response: ...and somehow his penis accidentally ends up in her mouth? Really, people need to stop fantasizing about what "might have happened."

TriumvereJul. 01, 2011 - 05:57PM JST. If Mr. Straus-Kahn is innocent I hope the system will return the appropriate verdict. Likewise if he is guilty. Til then, I am inclined to ignore anything anonymous sources have to say about the matter.

If you read your statement from 5/19, I have to take your response as a joke.
-1

chewitupJul. 02, 2011 - 11:32AM JST

If you read your statement from 5/19, I have to take your response as a joke

Actually that is what I am thinking about your method of taking things out of context.

Its pretty obvious he was using a scenario you presented for the first response and the second was purely his own. There are several ways he could be innocent, but the way you suggested was just ridiculous. She panicked and ran and he pursued and then winds up getting oral sex? Come on. That would pretty much only happen in a cheap porn film!
0

LFRAgainJul. 02, 2011 - 11:47AM JST

Madverts,

1) Strauss-Kahn claimed "diplomatic immunity" in response to the charges. Those aren't exactly the first words of an innocent man, regardless of what the press or public thinks.

2) If you read, re-read, and read yet again the above story, what stands out glaringly is that the woman's claim of having been sexually assaulted is in no way being repudiated by the police or prosecutors. What's being called into question is her past, with accusations running the range from drug dealing to money laundering. Why not throw in gun-running while they're at it?

Its all pretty damning information . . .

. . . IF the maid were being charged with money laundering and drug dealing.

The woman isn't a character witness. She's a victim of sexual assault by a reknowned womanizer (ahh, see how that works?). Her past has nothing whatsoever to do with what happened in that hotel on that particular evening. And that this information somehow magically materialized in a mind-staggering clump should be more than enough to raise eyebrows.

Now if you think it's fair to argue a case based on who or what a person is or was, regardless of what the facts pertaining to issue at hand are, then respectfully, your take on justice and my take on justice might be a bit different.

Furthermore, it's ludicrous to think that it's as common as a sunny day for women to drop to their knees to service random 62-year-old men, particularly when that woman is a member of the housekeeping staff at a $3000-per-night luxury hotel.

The above article's "revelations" stink to the high heavens.
0

TriumvereJul. 02, 2011 - 01:23PM JST

sfjp330,

Just so everyone is clear, the first two quotes sfjp330 sites aren't mine, even though the second has my name on it for some reason. The last two quotes are mine.

Now that we have that out of the way....

I'm not seeing your point here. There is no contradiction in anything I have said. The "response" you list was to the silly speculation that was being posted, fantasizing all sorts of convoluted examples. We know sex took place, the only question is whether or not it was consentual.

Personally, I believe that Mr. Straus-Kahn is guilty. However, I am not on the jury nor have all the facts. As such, I reserve final judgement for the outcome of a trial. It is entirely possible that I am wrong and DSK is innocent. If that is the case, as I have said, I hope that the Justice system does its job and clears him. If, as may be the case, the charges are dropped or reduced, then I hope that DSK is able to reintigrate himself back into the French political scene. (Though dropped charges do not automatically mean he is innocent, mind you.) I'm not sure where you imagine there are any contradictions these sentiments.
0

arrestpaulJul. 03, 2011 - 07:52AM JST

Triumvere - Well, this is rather vague and contradictory.

One part of the article claims that there is no issue with the charges, only with her background, and that the "proof against him is substancial." The other part is saying that they are considering dropping the charges.

The first is from the ADA. The second from an "anonymous source."

If Mr. Straus-Kahn is innocent I hope the system will return the appropriate verdict. Likewise if he is guilty. Til then, I am inclined to ignore anything anonymous sources have to say about the matter.

It seems that the media ran with the "considering dropping the charges" story. Generates more revenue thru more viewers/readers.

The original charges against DSK stil stand and the physical evidence against him still exists.

The prosecutors office has to take into consideration how a jury might now view the housekeepers testimony in light of her desparate attempt to enter the U.S..