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18 Sep 2011 20:50

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World: Dominique Strauss-Kahn admits “moral failing,” denies everything else

  • yeah … Dominique Strauss-Kahn admitted to a “moral failing” in his sexual encounter with a NYC hotel maid, in an interview with a French television station. It was his first public interview since the former IMF leader was arrested in May.
  • … but He claimed the sex was consensual, and that he did nothing that constituted an arrest. He also said an accusation that he attempted to rape French journalist Tristane Banon was “imaginary and slanderous.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jul 2011 21:33

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Politics: “Naming the victim” gets fresh scrutiny after Strauss-Kahn case

  • 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
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jul 2011 09:59

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U.S.: Guineans in NYC worry how Strauss-Kahn twist affects them

  • 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
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jul 2011 16:08

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U.S.: Remember: The Dominique Strauss-Kahn case still isn’t closed

  • 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
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jun 2011 17:24

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World: Christine Lagarde named new head of IMF

  • The new face of the Fund: The International Monetary Fund’s hunt for a new managing director (in the wake of rape allegations against former leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn) has come to an end, and Christine Lagarde is the winner. Lagarde is currently a French Finance Minister (meaning the European grip on this position will continue), and will begin a five-year term as the IMF head on July 5th. Her first comments of relevance since the announcement, predictably, were about Greece: “If I have one message tonight about Greece, it is to call on the Greek political opposition to support the party that is currently in power in a spirit of national unity.” Translation: I’d really like you all to get going with this unpopular austerity plan, sooner rather than later. (photo via the World Economic Forum’s Flickr page) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jun 2011 18:36

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World: International Monetary Fund hacked; extent of attack unknown

  • We had an incident. We’re investigating it and the fund is completely functional.
  • IMF spokesman David Hawley • Revealing that the International Monetary Fund had in fact been hacked. The fund is important — it holds sensitive financial data for roughly 187 member nations, so of course it’s at least of some concern. And the software used to attack the IMF was reportedly unique. “This isn’t malware you’ve seen before,” notes Tom Kellermann, a cybersecurity analyst who had to deal with similar stuff during his time with the World Bank. That said, even if it was in fact a serious attack, it probably won’t be the worst situation the IMF has had to deal with in the past month. We’re sure this one takes the cake. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2011 11:24

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U.S.: 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
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

23 May 2011 20:13

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World: Strauss-Kahn case may change France’s lassiez-faire views on sex

  • 1980 the year rape was formally outlawed in France — which is fairly late by historic standards
  • 75k number of rapes per year, according to France’s own government studies
  • 10% share of victims that file complaints each year, according to French women’s groups source
  • » The catalyst for changing perceptions? French society has long considered sexual matters private, but the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case — taking place in a society with a more stringent view on women’s’ rights — could help change that. While French legislation slowly turns the screws in favor of protecting victims of harassment and sexual abuse, the trial of a very powerful figure could have a lasting cultural effect, according to Claude Katz, a French attorney who focuses on sexual harassment cases. “It will empower victims of sexual abuse in France because if a maid can speak against a powerful man, others will have a stronger voice,” he explains.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 May 2011 13:04

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U.S.: Dominique Strauss-Kahn house arrest plans not going so well

  • situation Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF leader, will leave Rikers Island after a court ordered that he can pay $1 million in bail on his sexual assault charge. He’ll be under house arrest while he waits for his court date.
  • problem Unfortunately, he may not have a place to stay. His wife, Anne Sinclair, tried to rent him an apartment in a posh Upper East Side building. However, the building balked when they found out who was staying there. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 May 2011 11:12

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U.S.: State Department: No immunity for Dominique Strauss-Kahn

  • what The U.S. State Department declined to give diplomatic immunity to now-former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who faces sexual assault charges in New York.
  • why According to the State Department, he wasn’t on official business with the IMF when he was arrested. If he were in another country, he would probably have immunity. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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