For a person who has already been violated once, all the media exposure violates them again. We have a strong tradition of defendant’s rights. But if you’re a victim, you have fewer rights than an accused person.National Center for Victims of Crime executive director Mai Fernandez • Offering an argument against the idea of naming the victim in high-profile rape cases like that of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. There’s a good point in this — we do everything to cover the stories of high-profile sexual assault cases — but we never name the victim, even when we note every other detail about their lives, down to their money problems. The tradition of not naming the victim in cases like this one, which stretches back a century, is getting fresh scrutiny in the wake of new details in the Strauss-Kahn case. One guy getting some airtime as a result of these new revelations is Alan Dershowitz, a defense lawyer most famous for the O.J. Simpson trial, who says that the practice saddles the defendant with the presumption of guilt — especially when, as in the case of Strauss-Kahn, they take a perp walk. What do you guys think? Is Alan barking up the wrong tree? source (via • follow)
It will be very hard to believe in the future what African people say. She has to repent if she’s lying.Nigerian Imam Nurudeen Sulayman • Discussing the NYC African community’s feelings on the Dominique Strauss-Kahn accuser — especially among Guineans. To put it simply, they worry that it reflects badly on their community. The new developments around the accuser, who reportedly called a prison inmate and talked to him about extorting Strauss-Kahn in a rare dialect of Fulani, have put unwelcome attention on fellow Guineans in the city. “It’s about the two of them,” said Mamadou Diallo, president of the Futa Islamic Center, where the accuser reportedly attended services. “All we can do is stand still and watch.” source (via • follow)
Our concern is that the Manhattan district attorney is too afraid to try this case. We believe he’s afraid he’s going to lose this high-profile case.Lawyer Kenneth Thompson, who represents Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s accuser • Describing the issues currently clouding the Dominique Strauss-Kahn rape trial. If you read the document, it notes a few things which could damage the victim’s credibility in a court of law — meaning that, even if the French politician actually did assault her (Thompson claims that the physical evidence still supports her case), there are inconsistencies which could damage her case in the eyes of a jury. These inconsistencies show up both in her backstory and her story of the moments before and after the alleged assault, and have been documented in this letter the New York Times posted earlier. All of this is to say that this may be an issue of perception — an assault may still have taken place. But purely circumstantial reasons could hurt the prosecutor’s ability to get a conviction. source (via • follow)
It is clear that if he wants to, Dominique must come to France and play a major political role. Whatever his status, his presence with us would be decisive for our success in [next year’s] presidential election.Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang • Expressing excitement over the possibility that Dominique Strauss-Kahn might walk. Now, we’ve read a couple of articles like this Financial Times one this morning, and the celebratory tone of the whole thing weirds us out a ton. Even if it was adultery, instead of rape, that’d be enough to sink the hopes of a campaign in the U.S. But even by that token, we don’t know the full story yet, from Kahn’s angle or the victim’s. Now is not the time to discuss his presidential aspirations. source (via • follow)
Dominique Strauss-Kahn pleads not guilty; France captivated: His case bewilders the French, who love American crime shows but can’t believe how callous we are towards suspects, especially prominent ones like DSK. source
» Another conspiracy theory flourishes: French society is one where conspiracy theories like this can flourish — in part due to mistrust of business and political elites. But the fall of a man expected to run for president has many in absolute disbelief. “It highlights France’s denial … People do not want to believe it and it is interesting from the collective psychology point of view,” said Jérome Sainte-Marie of the polling group CSA. If it makes you feel better, French people, the U.S. loves its conspiracy theories too.
The principle of freedom of expression and right to information shouldn’t ignore the fact that such images can harm a person’s dignity.A statement from the French broadcasting authority • Reminding television networks in the country that they should be careful in showing images of IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn wearing handcuffs. While it’s illegal to shoot photos or video inside French courtrooms (and photographers can’t shoot people in handcuffs unless the person has been convicted), it’s not in American courtrooms, creating a complicated situation — and a rare sight on French television. It’s not clear that the French government could fine television stations that show the images, but officials are looking into it. But either way, it appears that the stations may be violating the spirit of the 2000 law (designed to encourage a presumption of innocence), if not the letter of it. source (via • follow)
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He’s definitely discredited. The case and the charges mark the end of his campaign for the presidency, and will likely prompt the IMF to ask him to leave his post.French National Front party leader Marine Le Pen • Sticking the dagger into Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the International Monetary Fund leader charged with the attempted sexual assault of a maid in a NYC hotel. Le Pen is not an unbiased party: Strauss-Kahn, a member of France’s Socialist party, was a likely favorite in the 2012 elections in France, and his arrest puts Le Pen’s own party at a major advantage. But that said, other politicians in the country are reacting with shock about the whole thing. For example, Bernard Debré, a member of Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMD party, calls the charges “a humiliation and an affront to the honor of France. Everyone will now say, ‘Look at what the French do.’” Strauss-Kahn’s own Socialist party is keeping mum for now. source (via • follow)
His powerful influence makes the sexual assault case all the more complicated. The man has a wide array of influence on global politics due largely to his current position, which leads a group that oversees the global financial system. And with a significant piece of evidence — Strauss-Kahn’s cell phone — reportedly left at the scene, there is said to be enough evidence to charge him. (EDIT: They have — with charges including attempted rape.) He reportedly plans to plead not guilty. This isn’t just a tabloid fodder-type story, though the New York Post, shown above, is certainly having fun with it. A few broader implications of Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest:
» To put it another way: The decisions the IMF makes have strong direct and indirect effects on world economies. Last year, for example, the IMF and the EU twisted Greece’s arm so the country would put in place strong austerity measures in exchange for a massive long-term loan. And here is this guy, in charge of a group that indirectly caused rioting in the streets of a major city, accused of a crime that’d make Bill Clinton’s whole impeachment fiasco seem like nothing. It makes you grit your teeth thinking of what that means for global economies.
A French presidential candidate. A leader of a powerful financial organization. A suspect in the sexual assault of a maid. Dominique Strauss-Kahn has a lot to lose with the just-breaking scandal, which involved his arrest at the airport before making a trip to France. According to reports, Strauss-Kahn attempted to assault the maid in a hotel room, she ran away, and he immediately booked it to the airport. Ironically, the Socialist party in France just accused Nicolas Sarkozy’s party of a smear campaign against the International Monetary Fund’s managing director, whom the New York Daily News refers to as “the great seducer.” Now they have bigger problems. (photo via the World Economic Forum’s Flickr page) source
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