Tag Archives: sexual assault

Dominique Strauss-Kahn May Argue Maid He Allegedly Sexually Assaulted Is A Prostitute

Jessica WakemanMay 26, 2011 //

Warning: the following blog post will make you stabby. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the ex-chief of the International Monetary Fund who is accused of sexually assaulting a New York City hotel maid, may argue in court that the victim was a prostitute who threatened to blackmail him. The Sun reports that Strauss-Kahn’s defense team will claim the maid “seduced” him and then demanded cash for sex. The defense may also argue that Strauss-Kahn’s semen found on the maid’s clothes indicate what went down was consensual, not a sexual assault (although that logic makes no sense to me).

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Two NYPD Officers Acquitted Of Raping Drunk Woman

Jessica WakemanMay 26, 2011 //

Two New York Police Department officers were acquitted by a jury for the alleged rape of a drunk woman inside her Lower East Side apartment. One cop was accused of raping her while his partner napped. The jury found officers Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata guilty of official misconduct for going into the woman’s apartment four times over the course of the night—but not guilty of rape, burglary and falsifying business records.

I don’t even know what to say. Keep reading »

Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s Semen Found On The Maid’s Clothes, French Newspaper Reports

Jessica WakemanMay 24, 2011 //

Dominique Strauss-Kahn‘s semen was found on the clothing of the New York City hotel housekeeper he allegedly sexually assaulted, according to the French newspaper, Atlantico. The NYPD reportedly examined her clothes for DNA evidence, and removed a portion of the hotel suite carpet. (This is why it’s very, very, very important that you do not take a shower, brush your teeth or wash your clothes after any type of sexual assault!) However, Strauss-Kahn’s defense team is said to be arguing that the sexual contact between the former International Monetary Fund chief and the unnamed maid was consensual. If you read the new details about the assault that I included in Today’s Lady News yesterday, you’ll likely agree with me that argument could be a stretch. Keep reading »

“Saturday Night Live” Opens With A Rape Joke

Jessica WakemanMay 23, 2011 //

I have a sense of humor. I swear to God, I do. But, damn it, rape jokes are never funny.

Even though the opening skit of this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” starred the only two black men in the cast as inmates at Rikers Island meeting accused sexual predator Dominique Strauss-Kahn (played by Taran Killiam), I was willing to go with it. Slightly racist casting there, but who knows, maybe they were the two cast members most enthusiastic about the material? Anyway, the skit was pretty funny: Keenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah played two guys locked in a cell bickering about the International Monetary Fund. I giggled a little, because it was silly. And then, at the end of the skit, Keenan says, “We’re going to rape you now.”
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YWCA’s “Safety Siren” iPhone App Sends An S.O.S. Message For Help On A Sketchy Date

Jessica WakemanMay 20, 2011 //

Ten years ago, when I was 17, I got into a car with a young guy I barely knew who was a customer at my job. We drove deep into the woods, parked his car, and got stoned. Bryan* eventually became my boyfriend, but I often think back to that night when I went off with a strange guy — and more than a few other nights like it — that could have gone wrong. I’ve always been a risk-taker, but, knock on wood, all the risks I took when I maybe should have heeded some “stranger danger” have turned out safe. But I know not every guy or girl is so lucky and this is how date rape and other acts of violence happens.

Could smartphones help keep people safe on dates, at parties and during risk-taking adventures? An app from the YMCA YWCA in Canada called “Siren Safety” thinks it just might. Keep reading »

Scott Weiland Reveals He Was Raped In A New Memoir

Ami AngelowiczMay 20, 2011 //

“[A] big muscular guy, a high school senior … raped me [when I was 12]. It was quick, not pleasant. I was too scared to tell anyone. ‘Tell anyone,’ he warned, ‘and you’ll never have another friend in this school. I’ll ruin your f***in’ reputation’ … This is a memory I suppressed until only a few years ago when, in rehab, it came flooding back. Therapy will do that to you.”

—An excerpt from Stone Temple Pilots/ Velvet Revolver singer, Scott Weiland‘s new memoir, Not Dead & Not For Sale. It’s very rare for famous men to come forward and talk about sexual abuse and assault. It’s hard for anyone to do so, but there seems to be more of a stigma for men. I commend his bravery for choosing to write about his rape. This book should be an interesting read — apparently it also include an anecdote about Scott getting high and almost getting romantically involved with Courtney Love. Yikes. [Spin] Keep reading »

Virginia Sugar Daddy Paid For College, Gave Women Spankings

Jessica WakemanMay 19, 2011 //

Henry Allen Fitzsimmons has some explaining to do. The 54-year-old restaurant owner reportedly paid college tuition and a $200 allowance per week to three young women who agreed to his “Spencer Scholarship Plan,” which required following a set of rules like telephoning him and not drinking alcohol. The crux of the plan? Fitzsimmons administered spankings to these women if they broke the rules. Keep reading »

8 Things To Know About The Dominique Strauss-Kahn Sexual Assault Scandal

Jessica WakemanMay 18, 2011 //
dominique strauss kahn photo

This weekend, police apprehended International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on an airplane moments before takeoff over accusations that he sexually assaulted a New York City hotel maid earlier that day. Strauss-Kahn, a French politician, is now the center of what the London Guardian is calling “France’s Monica Lewinsky moment” — as well as the same-old, same-old s**tshow that happens anytime a powerful and famous man is accused of sexual assault or rape.

Let’s familiarize ourselves with what’s going on, shall we? Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: NYPD Cops Deny Raping Drunk Woman

Jessica WakemanMay 17, 2011 //
  • The closing argument by the defense in the trial of two NYPD police officers — one who is accused of raping a drunk East Village woman while his partner napped — gives me the skeevies. You can read all about the case here. In the closing arguments, the lawyers for Officers Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata insinuated the alleged victim was a golddigger because she’s seeking a $57 million settlement. “Fifty-seven million — that’s a lot of money,” lawyer Edward Mandery said. “She knows she may never have to work for the rest of her life.” He also called into question the victim’s testimony: she remembers being penetrated from behind, but she was in and out of consciousness while the alleged rape happened. “It’s very dangerous to rely upon the testimony of someone who doesn’t have a clear memory, who doesn’t have an accurate memory,” Mandery said. While I understand the lawyer’s point (and understand his lawyerly reasons for making that point), I friggin’ hate how he is casting doubt on the alleged rape victims story. Rape victims struggle hard enough already to be taken seriously. [Village Voice]

Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Head Of The IMF, Arrested For Attempted Rape

Jessica WakemanMay 16, 2011 //
  • This weekend, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund, was arrested in New York, minutes before his flight to France took off, for the alleged attempted rape of a hotel maid. The bigwhig in French politics allegedly sexually abused a 32-year-old maid who came into his room at the Sofitel hotel in NYC to clean; he allegedly attempted to rape her and forced her to perform oral sex on him. He has been charged with attempted rape, forcible touching, sexual abuse, and unlawful imprisonment, among other charges. Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been denied a $1 million bail. The lawyer for French journalist Tristane Banon also announced her intention to file sexual assault charges against Dominique dating back to an incident in 2002. [Guardian UK]
  • Everyone wants to see movies with smart, strong and funny female characters succeed. But is “Bridesmaids” under too much pressure to make movie history? The fabulous feminist film critic Jenni Miller investigates. [Movies.com]

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