One of the reasons I tend to think there’s still smoke to the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case is Strauss-Kahn’s history, which is one of predatory evil. Perhaps not provable predatory evil, at least not from the standpoint of the law, but enough to make rape charges against him seem at least somewhat credible.
Of course, he shouldn’t be convicted just on the fact that he may well have raped someone — our criminal justice system rightly demands a tougher standard than that. But if charges in this case are dropped, nobody should confuse that with an exoneration of Strauss-Kahn’s behavior or ethics when it comes to women.
As if to underline that point, today, Tristiane Banon, the woman who had in 2007 accused Strauss-Kahn of attacking her, announced that she would file a lawsuit against him:
A French journalist and writer will file a lawsuit Tuesday in connection with an alleged rape attempt by Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2002, her lawyer said today.
David Koubbi, an attorney for Tristane Banon, told the Associated Press the complaint would relate to an alleged incident that took place when the then 22-year-old woman went to interview Strauss-Kahn in an apartment in Paris.
Banon, now 32, has previously discussed the incident.
The alleged incident occurred in 2002, and obviously, it will be difficult to win a suit against a wealthy man with a lot of connections. But it’s a reminder that for all the rape-apologist celebration, Strauss-Kahn has a history, one that cannot be easily dismissed by anyone who cares about women. It may not be enough to send him to prison. But it is enough for us to view him with the same jaundiced eye we view, say, Ben Roethlisberger. Being not guilty is not the same as being innocent.
Perhaps not provable predatory evil, at least not from the standpoint of the law, but enough to make rape charges against him seem at least somewhat credible.
Personally I considered the rape charges against him credible (let alone ‘somewhat credible’) the moment he was accused. The idea that men without DSK’s background should not be considered credible rapists is kind of worrying to me.
Isn’t rape attempt a crime, which would mean a prosecutor should file the lawsuit, and not Banon herself ?
He is at best a moron, by his own testimony.
Now, the world is full of morons, sadly, but when we have our act together we do not put them in important political or financial positions. Because they are, can you dig it, morons.
I am glad to see the system working at least this well in this case. Let us hope that it continues to do so.
Is this justice? I donno. But at a minimum let’s limit the damage this moron can do to the political and economic structures we all depend on.