But here's the thing - this man apparently has a history of treating women horribly. From another maid in Mexico, to a reporter doing an interview, to prostitutes in New York City, he has a history of rape in the worst cases, and rough treatment in the cases of the prostitutes (provided by the same madam, Kristin Davis, who provided prostitutes to former NY Governor, Eliott Spitzer).n A recent book details the rape of the maid in Mexico (which went unreported), along with 14 other women who claim sexual assaults by this man.
Aforementioned madam, Ms. Davis, would not provide any more prostitutes to Strauss-Kahn due to his abusive behavior. The last time was when Strauss-Kahn was going to NYC for a conference with President Clinton:
[snip]Kristin Davis said she provided young women for the IMF chief in 2006, as he ran for the French Socialists' presidential nomination, and that one complained about his "aggressive" behaviour.
"He was a client of my agency," she told The Daily Telegraph. "When men abuse women I'm no longer going to protect their identities".
[...]
Miss Davis, 35, who claims to have a long list of celebrity clients, said Mr Strauss-Kahn called her directly on her mobile phone and paid $1,200 cash for two-hour sessions in hotel rooms.
"He wanted an 'All-American girl', with a fresh face, from the mid-West," she said. "A girl in January 2006 complained he was rough and angry, and said she didn't want to see him again".
In September 2006, Mr Strauss-Kahn travelled to New York for a conference hosted by Bill Clintonn September 2006, Mr Strauss-Kahn travelled to New York for a conference hosted by Bill Clinton. Miss Davis claims that month, she sent him a Brazilian-born prostitute who reported that "he was rough", said Miss Davis, adding: "She told me not to send any new girls to him." [snip]
Well, I would think not. Sheesh.
As to the other women, I do have a nagging question, which the author of this Telegraph article alluded to, as well:
A deluge of fresh allegations of sexual misbehaviour engulfed Dominique Strauss-Kahn yesterday.
The 62-year-old International Monetary Fund chief, who is accused of the attempted rape of a chambermaid, is said to have targeted young students, ‘behaved like a gorilla’ with an actress and had flings with the widow of an Italian academic.
As Strauss-Kahn languished on suicide watch in New York’s Rikers Island prison following the alleged sexual assault at a Manhattan hotel, the new claims sent further shockwaves reverberating through France and the financial world.
The revelations will trigger more questions about how the IMF’s managing director escaped censure during his rise to become one of the world’s most powerful money men and a potential president of France.[snip]
NO FREAKING KIDDING. That is what I would like to know. With all of these women, in a number of countries, being on the receiving end of, at best, inappropriate advances, and at worse, rape, how is it that NO ONE went after this man?? Go check out this article, and see the long list of women that we KNOW about who had dealings with Strauss-Kahn, just to give you an idea:
[snip]The mother of Tristane Banon, a Parisian novelist who claims to have been subjected to a frenzied sex attack by Strauss-Kahn nine years ago, used the Facebook website to deliver a scathing attack on her daughter’s alleged aggressor.
[...] French socialist politician Auriele Filippetti said the IMF chief had groped her in 2008 and from then on vowed to make sure she was never alone in a room with him.
Piroska Nagy, a Hungarian economist who had a brief affair with Strauss Kahn when both were married in 2008, told investigators that he had a problem and that she felt coerced into sleeping with him because of his senior position and aggressive advances. [snip]
Now that is a story we have heard all too often, isn't it?
And what was the response to Strauss-Kahn's arrest in France? Now, let me just say - I love France. I have had great interactions with the French when I have visited there, so this is disturbing to me:
[snip]President Sarkozy is said to have rolled his eyes and said ‘We did warn him’ after hearing of his arrest.
[...]
Most French people believe fallen Strauss-Kahn is the ‘victim of a plot’ over the charge that he tried to rape a hotel chambermaid.
A poll found that 57 per cent of French people think he was ‘framed’ in a bid to ruin him.
Among socialist voters, 70 per cent believe the Left-wing politician has been set up. (Click here to read the rest.)
I guess that answers my question as to why no one has censured this man, or brought charges against him before: because they will not be believed, and he will be held blameless, considered the "victim" of some nefarious plot, not as an (alleged) rapist/serial sexual abuser.
Though the President of France saying they "warned him" is telling - about just what DID they warn him? And was their concern for HIM, or for the WOMEN? I think we can guess the answer to that, can't we?
Well, hopefully he will not get away with it this time, though. It is far past time, if these claims are accurate (and I have no reason to believe they aren't, especially since they are coming from all different sectors from a number of different women in a number of different countries). I would not be at all surprised to see more women come forward to levy charges against Strauss-Kahn. Thank heavens for the courage of the maid in NYC, though had other women done so previously, perhaps she would have been spared this horrendous fate, at least at the hands of Strauss-Kahn (allegedly).
Perhaps now, he will get his comeuppance, not just a roll of the eyes and a "warning." One can hope, anyway...
2 comments:
Hi Amy,
With the French privacy laws which protect politicians for just this very thing, it's no wonder he wasn't nailed before this. It's deeply embedded in the French culture to look the other way when it comes to philandering and sexual escapades. Of course, what he was doing had nothing to do with sexual appetite and more to do with hate and control over women.
Seems to me that he couldn't enjoy himself unless he was hurting the woman..that's hate, not "pleasure". Of course, when ignored long enough and allowed to get away with it, the behavior becomes more bizarre and dangerous for the woman on the receiving end.
That's the problem with men with that kind of power, they begin to believe that this type of control is owed to them. Look at how many powerful men abused women or cheated on their wives. They always feel protected by their peers.
He sounds like such a sick bastard and I wonder how in the world his wife (who had to know of his behavior) could stay with him.
Mary Ellen, I could not agree more. What he was doing was not abt pleasure, but power. And misogyny.
It just boggles my mind how people like this can be protected, or worse, treated like THEY are the victims. Please. He has gotten away with treating women like crap for years. His comeuppance is long overdue.
And yes, if the president knows what DSK is up to, his wife HAD to know. Just like with Maria Shriver and Ahnold's well known exploits, including sexual assault (groping women without their consent counts as assault). She married him anyway, and stayed with him anyway.
So disturbing.
Great comment!
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