IMF Head Arrested On Sexual Assault Charges!

[ColoradoGuy]

It does seem a bit extreme - and harshly handled, whatever he's done.

Yeah, but rape is kind of "harsh", too.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

I just want to point out that he is not being, nor has he been, charged with rape. He has been charged with sexual assault, attempted rape and, I think, false imprisonment.

 

[SilverTrain]

1. I think "perp walks" are a travesty and completely undermine due process and the presumption of innocence. They absolutely should be abolished.

2. That said, perp walks are imposed on all manner of defendants, and I don't think the wealthy, the politically-connected, or the celebrated should get any more favorable treatment than an average joe.

I can understand the French indignation, but this defendant is not being singled out for any harsher treatment than countless accused's before him. Perhaps this will spur a movement toward ending perp walks altogether.

 

[ColoradoGuy]

I just want to point out that he is not being, nor has he been, charged with rape. He has been charged with sexual assault, attempted rape and, I think, false imprisonment.

Good point... I did say "rape" and I want to correct that. Every time I said "rape", I really meant: "a criminal sexual act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment".

According to the BBC report, he was unsuccessful at raping this woman (hence, the attempted rape charge), he did succeed at forcibly committing sodomy with her person (hence the criminal sexual act charge), and he held her against her will in his room (hence the unlawful imprisonment charge).

Thanks ManlyBanisters, for correcting that error. It wasn't intentional.

This doesn't change how I feel about the seriousness of the charges... and I think it was entirely reasonable for the Court to rule out bail and hold him over for arraignment. I will repeat what I said earlier, though: in our justice system, he's considered innocent until he's proven guilty.

 

[MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_...lleged_hotel_rape_not_hiv_positive_did_n.html

 

[TheRob]

:28: We are not amused.

Typical rich male bureaucratic entitlement attitude led him to this situation.

Glad he did not have 'diplomatic immunity'
BBC News - Who, What, Why: Does Strauss-Kahn have immunity?

lol
yes no rich female has ever felt entitled to anything

 

[ManlyBanisters]

Thanks ManlyBanisters, for correcting that error. It wasn't intentional.

This doesn't change how I feel about the seriousness of the charges...

No problem, and me either. If guilty of those charges it is very serious indeed - especially the forced sodomy (oral, as far as I've read), a crime as serious as forced, non-consensual vaginal/anal penetration, as far as I'm concerned - just defined differently under the eyes of the law in the jurisdiction the crimes allegedly took place.

 

[rbkwp]

admit have not followed closely
BUT
Hope he never appeared with an erection, and is now lumbered with 1/2 a dozen associated charges
That does & can happen?
enz

am aware of further French accusations etc...

 

[Cobalt Blue]

From Le Figaro:

An opinion poll [in France] taken before his first court appearance on Monday and released on Wednesday, showed that more than half the population believe Strauss-Kahn was set up.

The CSA poll found that 57 percent of respondents thought that the Socialist politician, who had been frontrunner for the 2012 election, was "definitely" or "probably" the victim of a plot.

Fully 70 percent of Socialist sympathisers took that view. The poll findings highlighted a cultural divide, with French Socialist politicians and commentators denouncing the public parading of Strauss-Kahn, unshaven and in handcuffs, before he has had a chance to defend himself.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed such a display was humiliating and would be unfair if a defendant were to be found innocent. "But if you don't want to do the 'perp walk', don't do the crime," he told reporters.

Jeffrey Shapiro said his client, Nafissatou Diallo, who has called herself Ophelia Famotidina since her arrival in New York's Bronx neighbourhood, is a "devout Muslim" asylum seeker from the West African nation of Guinea with a 15-year-old daughter. Diallo/Famotidina told Reuters she had not been aware of Strauss-Kahn's identity until a day after the alleged attack.

"She didn't have any idea who he was or have any prior dealings with this guy," the personal injury lawyer said.

 

[Drifterwood]

Why don't you read what I said CG? You take his passport and you tag him. As you said, Polanski left on his own passport, they hadn't thought to take it, after he was apparently tipped off that the judge was going to renege on the plea bargain deal that had been cobbled together.

Call me daft all you like, the man is innocent until proven guilty of charges ranging from attempted rape to unlawful touching, seven charges in all I think. Does this appear like a "deal" is going to be offered?

Will they let him out on Friday?

Was there any physical evidence found to support the allegations?

Has anyone explained why she was in his room?

Apparently his daughter with whom he was having lunch beforehand has said that the timeline offered is not correct.

There are a lot of questions and of course the allegations must be proven.

Personally, I believe that innocent people accused of such crimes should be allowed anonymity until they are found guilty.

What damages are you going to give him if he is not found guilty?

 

[ManlyBanisters]

Why don't you read what I said CG? You take his passport and you tag him. As you said, Polanski left on his own passport, they hadn't thought to take it, after he was apparently tipped off that the judge was going to renege on the plea bargain deal that had been cobbled together.

And indeed that is what DSK's legal team have offered:

Mr Strauss-Kahn is due to appear in New York's supreme court on Thursday afternoon to request bail. He has promised $1million (£600,000) and offered to waive any French rights against extradition.
He has also offered to be confined to a house in Manhattan and be subjected to electronic monitoring 24 hours a day, to ensure he does not flee the city.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/dominique-strauss-kahn/8522888/Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-mug-shot-released.html​

Has anyone explained why she was in his room?

I can't answer all your questions but as far as I can see a chambermaid working in the hotel in which he was staying was a rather likely candidate for being in his room as part of her duties. Or am I missing something?

Personally, I believe that innocent people accused of such crimes should be allowed anonymity until they are found guilty.

I agree, but anonymity would have been rather hard in this case. A plane full of people (and presumably a good few people in the departure lounge) saw a very well-known person being arrested and hauled off a flight. That's going to be rather difficult to hush up, no?

 

[Cobalt Blue]

Apparently his daughter with whom he was having lunch beforehand has said that the timeline offered is not correct.

There are a lot of questions and of course the allegations must be proven.

There are many inconsistencies regarding timings here.
From The New York Times:
It is suggested that he had lunch with his daughter before boarding the plane to make a flight that had been reserved in advance, that he may have checked out of his hotel before lunch with his daughter, and that he may have had lunch after the alleged attack took place. In other words, he did not flee in haste, as the police had said in their comments on the case.
The Socialist politician Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, a close ally of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, said, “In the file, there are a lot of contradictions beginning with the escape, which was acknowledged today didn’t happen.”
On the Web site of RMC.fr radio, for example, claiming to cite information from Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers, that he checked out of the hotel around 12:30 p.m., returning his keys to reception, and met his daughter for lunch before going to the airport, where he realized he had lost one of his cellphones, and called the hotel to ask that it be returned to him at the airport. The New York police originally estimated the time of the alleged attack on the maid at about 1 p.m., but have since revised it to around noon.

Another question raised was about the timing of the flood of Twitter posts around the scandal, with the first one reportedly sent by a French student who is a member of Mr. Sarkozy’s center-right party.
It was at 4:59 p.m. New York time that J_Pinet posted this message on Twitter: “A friend in the United States just told me that DSK was arrested by police in a hotel an hour ago.”
Twenty-four minutes later, a post by Arnaud Dassier, who ran Mr. Sarkozy’s online election campaign in 2007, spread the news further, apparently before any New York newspaper. Mr. Dassier is a shareholder in the Web site Atlantico.fr, which Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s allies accused this month of disseminating photographs of him and his wife getting into a Porsche in a bid to tarnish his reputation with common voters.

 

[Drifterwood]

I can't answer all your questions but as far as I can see a chambermaid working in the hotel in which he was staying was a rather likely candidate for being in his room as part of her duties. Or am I missing something?

Yes, you are, I think. I spend way too much of my life staying in hotels like this one, but not at $3000 a night.

House Keeping does not go anywhere near your room on your check out day. Why would they? They wait till you go and then do the major clean through.

He may have called for housekeeping and in that case, the hotel would have a record. I'd think it important to establish why she was there - has he been allowed to say anything? He might allege that he caught her stealing from his room - who knows.

If he was having a shower in a suite, he may not have heard her ring his bell. I presume she rang the bell. It would be very unlikely timing if he had walked out of the shower as she walked in, but possible. If this had happened, I would have expected some embarassment and her to have turned and gone.

If he has falsely imprisoned her, he must have rushed past her and blocked her departure - let's see what she says. She would have been closer to the door than him.

The other point I made before was that there are no internal locks in these types of hotels. They have a default lock from the outside and simple opening override on the inside, so to have falsely imprisoned her, he must have forcibly blocked her exit. If he did.

No doubt we will learn more.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

Yes, you are, I think. I spend way too much of my life staying in hotels like this one, but not at $3000 a night.

House Keeping does not go anywhere near your room on your check out day. Why would they? They wait till you go and then do the major clean through.

Fair point - but 12 is a fairly standard check out time - had he been in the shower she may have entered the room (having not had an answer to her knock) to see if it was vacated yet. I've had many a knock on the door from housekeeping as I was getting ready to vacate a hotel room. You haven't?

He may have called for housekeeping and in that case, the hotel would have a record. I'd think it important to establish why she was there - has he been allowed to say anything? He might allege that he caught her stealing from his room - who knows.

Hardly a justification for forcibly sticking his dick down her throat - if, indeed, that's what he did.

If he was having a shower in a suite, he may not have heard her ring his bell. I presume she rang the bell. It would be very unlikely timing if he had walked out of the shower as she walked in, but possible. If this had happened, I would have expected some embarassment and her to have turned and gone.

If he has falsely imprisoned her, he must have rushed past her and blocked her departure - let's see what she says. She would have been closer to the door than him.

The other point I made before was that there are no internal locks in these types of hotels. They have a default lock from the outside and simple opening override on the inside, so to have falsely imprisoned her, he must have forcibly blocked her exit. If he did.

If he did.

He was, I believe, staying a suite, though - not a room. The Sofitel Hotel's site describes the 'prestige suite' thus:

PRESTIGE SUITE - 1 king size bed,separate living room, terrace 300 sq ft, floors 24
650 sq ft. / 60 m² and 300 sq ft terrace. Flatscreen TV, Bose radio, feather SoBed, 2 telephone lines, safe, minibar, iron, marble bath, hair dryer, separate bath and shower, high-speed internet access, sofa, rollaway bed not allowed.

It doesn't describe the 'Imperial suite' but I doubt it differs that much in layout, only size and decor.

I should imagine that the bathroom is off the bedroom rather than the living room - maybe she was in the bedroom when he left the shower. I think it is fair to assume that the bedroom door in a suite like that does have an internal lock, I've stayed in 2 hotel suites and a few guest house suites - all of them had internal door locks between the bedroom and the living area.

If he exited the shower (via the bedroom?) to the living area it is possible he dragged her into the bedroom and then locked the door.

If, indeed, he attacked her at all.

No doubt we will learn more.

No doubt.

 

[luka82]

In a few days, when Jesus returns, we shall have all the answers!

 

[Drifterwood]

Fair point - but 12 is a fairly standard check out time - had he been in the shower she may have entered the room (having not had an answer to her knock) to see if it was vacated yet. I've had many a knock on the door from housekeeping as I was getting ready to vacate a hotel room. You haven't?

No, never. If the hotel is well run and managed, house keeping has a daily schedule. They know exactly who is checking out and when. 12.00 is standard for standard guests in standard rooms. The hotel will have important information to give the police.

Hardly a justification for forcibly sticking his dick down her throat - if, indeed, that's what he did.

Well the implication would rather be that she has accused me of this because I caught her stealing and she would lose her job. But i only mentioned it because you can start alleging anything.


It doesn't describe the 'Imperial suite' but I doubt it differs that much in layout, only size and decor.

I should imagine that the bathroom is off the bedroom rather than the living room - maybe she was in the bedroom when he left the shower. I think it is fair to assume that the bedroom door in a suite like that does have an internal lock, I've stayed in 2 hotel suites and a few guest house suites - all of them had internal door locks between the bedroom and the living area.

The bathroom will be off the bedroom and I don't see how she could have walked through the living room and into the bedroom without at some stage realising that he was still in the room. If it didn't happen simultaneously, either she was in the room for some time or he was in the room and she walked straight in on him.

I don't see how the NYPD would have time to look into these things before arrestuing him and doing the now infamous "Perp Walk". Sorry, alleged Perp. Oh no, just perp.

I don't like the smell of this guy, but I am uncomfortable with anyone being treated as he appears to have been.

 

[ColoradoGuy]

Why don't you read what I said CG? You take his passport and you tag him. As you said, Polanski left on his own passport, they hadn't thought to take it, after he was apparently tipped off that the judge was going to renege on the plea bargain deal that had been cobbled together.

Call me daft all you like, the man is innocent until proven guilty of charges ranging from attempted rape to unlawful touching, seven charges in all I think. Does this appear like a "deal" is going to be offered?

Will they let him out on Friday?

Was there any physical evidence found to support the allegations?

Has anyone explained why she was in his room?

Apparently his daughter with whom he was having lunch beforehand has said that the timeline offered is not correct.

There are a lot of questions and of course the allegations must be proven.

Personally, I believe that innocent people accused of such crimes should be allowed anonymity until they are found guilty.

What damages are you going to give him if he is not found guilty?

Yes, I did read what you wrote and that's why I said... "are you daft?"

Point #1: He clearly demonstrated a desire to flee the country. You'll agree with that, right? He's picked up at an airport trying to board an airplane leaving JFK heading for France. You'll agree with me, right? He's clearly not intending to stick around... right?

Now, point #2 which you may not be aware of. Somebody with his wealth could have easily left without a passport. We have remarkably porous borders when it comes to the wealthy and affluent. I can board a private jet here in Denver without a passport and file flight plans for another US destination near a border and then, divert the plane in air (legally, I might add) to a foreign port of entry. We also happen to have 12,300 miles of coastline in the United States -- 127 miles of which is in New York alone. Do you think it's possible to police every port and harbor? This is the reason those who are suspected to be a flight risk are not granted bail -- even if they surrender their passport. Typically, surrendering a passport is a common requirement of bail for even those individuals who are not deemed a flight risk.

To your point about what damages are we going to award him? Cart before the horse, my friend. Typically, no one detained on serious charges is awarded damages if the case against them is dropped. The only time I'm aware of damages being awarded in the United States is if a defendant is incarcerated and is later exonerated by DNA evidence or the uncovering of unlawful prosecution or judicial malfeasance.

The Judge hearing the case will determine in Friday's arraignment what will happen next. Luckily, the foundation of our justice system isn't predicated on popular opinion, publicity or one's rank and station in life.

You will recall that President Bill Clinton was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice, fined $90,000 and agreed to give up his license to practice law in the State of Arkansas for five years for lying about getting a blowjob. A consensual blowjob! Puritanical, yes... but if the system didn't give our own sitting President a break, I think you're unrealistic to expect we give two shits about what DSK did for a living before he met the NYPD.

I hope this clears up any confusion about why I asked if you were daft.

 

[Drifterwood]

Yes, I did read what you wrote and that's why I said... "are you daft?"

Point #1: He clearly demonstrated a desire to flee the country. You'll agree with that, right? He's picked up at an airport trying to board an airplane leaving JFK heading for France. You'll agree with me, right? He's clearly not intending to stick around... right?

I hope this clears up any confusion about why I asked if you were daft.

I take it that you are ignorant of the fact that he had always been booked on that flight and had a meeting with the European Finance Ministers the next day.

I thought that the NYPD had now admitted that they had "mislead" people about their heroics in pulling a fugitive off an escape plane?

EDIT - no doubt you will be correct when the movie version comes out.

 

[798686]

On a slightly different note, I think anyone who's prepared to spend 3 grand a night on a hotel room, should be locked up.

 

[deleted213967]

The lawyer to the plaintiff alleged that he received a call from the hotel's general counsel, to the effect that the management team full supported her, the employee.

I find that intriguing, given her modest position in the corporate food chain, and given the typical attention hotels lavish on high-flying, celebrity customers.