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In Strauss-Kahn case, DA weighs limited options

19 Comments

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It is not just the credibility of the accuser which is at stake, but the one of the public prosecutors as well. The case should be dropped.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The best thing they can do now is drop the case and let this woman get on with her life. He is clearly guilty, but she is the one on trial not him. A woman can be a slut, a drug dealer, an illegal immigrant, have mental health problems..and STILL be raped. Unfortunately anyone less than the Virgin Mary herself will never come out well from a rape trial.

I truely hope women look at this case and save themselves the horror of going through the court system, if they are raped. There are many good support groups who will not force a woman to put herself through this.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Gwragged - He is clearly guilty? How? This woman has a long history of lying for personal gain. Yes, she MIGHT have been raped, but it is far from "clear" that Strauss-Kahn is guilty. About 20~25% of men accused of rape are exonerated by the DNA evidence (U.S. Dept of Justice DNA statistics), and given that these men have already been identified in a witness line-up this means that 20~25% of women who claim to have been raped are either lying or mistaken. Despite this clear and consistent evidence (they've been keeping statistics from 1989 and the percentage is consistent) that alleged rape victims' testimonies are not reliable (the contradict the DNA evidence in at least 1 in 5 cases) there's still this perception that the rape victim should be believed, even when there's every reason to believe that she's lying.

.... It's ridiculous and is the height of politically correct nonsense. Furthermore it's sexist and it's about time that men stood up and said, "Enough!". Women do lie, women do lie for gain. Men do too, but since the current bias is towards believing that men lie and women don't this doesn't really need to be restated. Women lie. Make this women PROVE her case rather than starting from the assumption that Strauss-Kahn is guilty.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Champagne Socialist versus high class call girl pretending to be poor oppressed refugee. Throw the book at both of them, and throw it hard.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

WHO cares!?

The entirety of France, for one. Myself for another.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tens of thousands of dollars in bank accounts in her name? This gives an interesting twist to the story. Drug dealing? Or are the conspiracy theories right after all that the French secret service staged this event? Or was the maid so deranged after the rape that she didn't consider that police and/or private investigators would thoroughly probe her integrity? At least the story remains entertaining.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Make this women PROVE her case rather than starting from the assumption that Strauss-Kahn is guilty.

That is the way it is supposed to work. But I duly note that DSK is in no great hurry to present a plausible chain of events. His silence is speaking volumes especially coupled with the never ending attacks on her character rather than her version of events.

Did he think oral sex was part of the hotel service? Even if she is the great schemer she is being painted, what the hell was he thinking in accepting the "service"? I don't know because he isn't saying. And like I say, his silence is golden, golden in incriminating him.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

New York should legalize prostitution -- then none of this would have happened and Spitzer would still be governor of NY state.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Virtuoso, it has been reported that DSK has hired prostitutes in the past. One said he was too rough, so all the high class ones may have refused to do business with him. It seems none of this would have happened if not for DSK, and he has no one but himself to blame.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Heh, and the saga continues like a tacky soap-opera. Tax dollars smoked whilst lawyers do what they do and ream everybody.

Personally, with the information we have I simply don't believe either of them about anything, and I'd wager this case will be thrown out before long, whence no doubt DSK's lawyers will be starting the civil case against the maid, the NYPD, the hotel etc....

I'm sure a pork like DSK is capapble of rape like I'm sure the "maid", who's chequered story receives further enlightment each passing day - could be capable of taking payment for oral sex, and subsequently crying rape to plunder DSK's bank account hours after the alleged event.

The truth is certainly not going to see the light of day on this incident I imagine, and for those French-hating Americans (you know who you are) that have thrown the concept of innocent until proven guilty out the window on this matter, well..... not only shame on you, but it might be time to stock up on the old screen wipes until further notice.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

have thrown the concept of innocent until proven guilty out the window on this matter, well..... not only shame on you, but it might be time to stock up on the old screen wipes until further notice.

Can we not debate the possibility or our belief that he is guilty without that coming up?

I don't see anyone here saying we should just forego the trial and just lock him up, so I don't think anyone is throwing that concept out the window. Even the poster who said he was clearly guilty suggested dropping it all together. So what are you on about with this "innocent until proven guilty stuff"? I look at the evidence and I see a possibility that he might be innocent. I see doubt. I just don't find that doubt to be reasonable.

could be capable of taking payment for oral sex

So she walked into the room out of the blue, offered oral sex for a price, and he accepted, just like that? And you think that is a distinct possibility, despite the fact that we never heard DSK say he paid, but only that it was consensual? Its possible and so there is doubt. It just isn't reasonable doubt.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There HAS to be something else going on with this story.

Was the guy set up, or what?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"so I don't think anyone is throwing that concept out the window. "

Then you've clearly failed to read not only a huge amoubt of posts here, but also the American press which ahs tried him and found him guilty almost immdeiatle after the alleged incident.

"Frog legs it" springs to mind.

"So she walked into the room out of the blue, offered oral sex for a price, and he accepted, just like that?"

Who's to say what happened? That's why Strauss Khan will have is day in court to explain that, not your suppositions. If half of the things being reported on the maid are true there's no chance of a court taking the case seriously.

Are you seriously suggesting a woman couldn't possibly offer sex for money and then cry rape to extort coin of the realm?

Pu-lease.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Was the guy set up, or what?"

It's certainly a possibility. I wouldn't put anything past a money grubber. Nor the repressive little dictator that is currently in power in France, taking out his rivals using whatever weakness that person has.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Are you seriously suggesting a woman couldn't possibly offer sex for money and then cry rape to extort coin of the realm?

Oh no. I am incredulous that a man could be so completely dumb as to accept, doubly incredulous as only weeks before he publicly announced that he felt he was at risk to be set up for phoney rape charges!

It is a rather unllikely scenario that she planned a scam. And "beyond a reasonable doubt" should also work for her. As unlikely as that is, then you have the idea that he jumped on the opportunity. To do that requires standing reality on its head. Like I say, there is doubt, its just not reasonable. The guy was the IMF. Am I supposed to believe that Forest Gump is more intelligent?

Then you've clearly failed to read not only a huge amoubt of posts here, but also the American press which ahs tried him and found him guilty almost immdeiatle after the alleged incident.

You are welcome to name the papers and the posters who suggested the trial be skipped and DSK jailed or worse. If you can't do that, you have no case. We debate guilt and innocent all the time. But until you have a quote saying there should be no trial, or that they had all the evidence they need, then you have no argument to accuse people of throwing out the presumption of innocent until proven guilty, because that is a principle for the courtroom and not the locker room.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"I am incredulous that a man could be so completely dumb as to accept, doubly incredulous as only weeks before he publicly announced that he felt he was at risk to be set up for phoney rape charges!"

I'm hardly incredelous about the action of sex-crazed old men like DSK. The people act on impulsions, and I'm sure in these high class hotels, drugs and sex are freely available on tap.

"ters who suggested the trial be skipped and DSK jailed"

I have not suggested this at all. The American press has been far from impartial on this issue, as have many JT posters. Clearly you're either not equipped to see this for yourself, or you're in denial, therefore I've no further time to waste with you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers say anything that happened between the two wasn’t forced.

Statements like this are what really make me believe the maid. Excuse me, but oral sex is not just "something that happened" between a hotel guest and a maid that just walked in the door. It seems we never get an explanation for what happened from the DSK side, its just them taking shots at her for anything but the actual event. How did the man's fluid wind up on the wall and on the floor, precisely where the maid said it was? DSK said it was consensual. How are we supposed to believe that? Because the alleged victim is not a saint? Pah!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Where on earth did the NY District Attorney got to law school? DeVry University. A cursory check of the "maid's" background would have see a load of red flags. Sources in the union she is a member of said she was a "high earner" alluding to the situation that she kicked back part of her "extracurricular" earnings to someone in the union that placed her at that exclusive hotel. Deport her, ASAP. DSK is only guilt of a minor sex crime -- he's French -- that's like a parking ticket to them...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

WHO cares!?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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