DSK (again)

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is back in the news.

He left the news because the media slandered the accuser, hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo, calling her a prostitute, and discrediting her by bringing up past times where she lied in completely irrelevant situations.

It’s interesting that when the two New York City cops were on trial for raping a girl who was too incapacitated to speak or stand, their previous transgressions, and complaints against them were deemed irrelevant to the case and never brought up in court. Their harassment of other females apparently had nothing to do with their harassment of the accuser.

Yet when this woman accuses the future president of France, her past is questioned. Her past is used to devalue her and her claims. Her character is questioned and used to throw out charges, used to never bring the issue to court, to never even attempt justice for the victim. The complaints against the cops didn’t even make it to the newspapers until after they were acquitted. Am I the only one confused as to why the media refused to dig up any dirt on the cops, but were more than happy to learn the entire history of Diallo, and use it against her?

Because, and only because, she was the (alleged) victim of a sexual assault. How many men who have been robbed, or the victim of a physical assault, or whose house has been burglarized have had to undergo such interrogation of their past? Shouldn’t the focus be on the accused? Or at least on evidence pertaining to the case?

It’s time that victims of sexual assault be given the same rights as victims as every other crime. As if being stripped naked and violated both physically and emotionally isn’t a bad enough experience, the victim also needs to be victimized by the media and the court. The justice system that was originally put in place to protect America’s citizens is the same system that vilifies these women.

Coming forward is hard enough. Even though this man is innocent until proven guilty, let’s also not make her guilty until proven innocent. Let the evidence of the case speak, not her past, or his fame.

And hopefully justice (for once) may prevail.