Dominique Strauss-Kahn | Conspiracy Theories At Work Forget Cameras & Forensic Evidence

Updated| RedTracker| IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn continues to be held in a private cell in New York’s Riker’s Island, preparing for his next court appearance. 

Conspiracy theories are building that the politician most likely to beat current French president Sarkozy in the next election was set up. Some French officials argue that the media has presented Strauss-Kahn as guilty, not presumed innocent. 

The pictures amounted to “unsupportable cruelty,” said Manuel Valls, a leading French Socialist. Another French politician, Jean-Pierre Chevenement, said Strauss-Kahn was the victim of a “horrifying international lynching” based on weak evidence.

We view the matter differently. 

The maid has said that when she entered Strauss-Kahn’s room to clean it, he came out of the bathroom naked, pushed her onto a bed and assaulted her, New York police said. At Monday’s hearing, prosecutor McConnell said that Strauss-Kahn attempted to rape her and when that failed, he forced her to perform oral sex, writes the LA Times

This is not a case of he said, she said. There are cameras everywhere in the Sofitel Hotel, where the IMF chief was staying this weekend. The cameras will show what time the Frenchman returned to the hotel, after having lunch with his daughter. 

Cameras Are Everywhere

Cameras will show what time Strauss-Kahn left the hotel and whether he was rushing. Earlier reporting said that he not only left one of his cell phones in the suite but other personal belongings.

Cameras will show the maid entering the room and leaving it. I read a major conspiracy argument yesterday that maids don’t enter the hotel rooms of important people. I asked the writer how many luxury hotels he’s stayed in, because I’ve stayed in many — and in suites.

The writer asked if we seriously believe that a maid would walk in on Hillary Clinton. Given that Hillary is under Secret Service protection most of the time — and Strauss-Kahn was traveling privately in NYC — the question was ill-founded. 

Dominique Strauss-Kahn with his third wife Anne Sinclair (Jim Spellman/Getty Images)

Maids and Door Openings

At 1pm in the afternoon maids absolutely ring the bell and wait a short time. If you don’t call out immediately, they will enter the room at that hour. Floor staff often notice who has left and who is in the room. One assumes that no ‘do not disturb’ sign was on the door.  I would put on that sign or message at that hour of day, if I didn’t want the maid in my suite. 

Cameras will show whether the maid was distraught and what she was wearing — including the possibility of her being ‘manhandled’ in any way or being only partially clothed when she left DSK’s room.

Cameras will show her state of mind, as they will show Strauss-Kahn’s — to the extent that faces and body language tell a story. 

Updated: The NYTimes educates us on the digital history of the hotel keycard and reminds us that the door is left open when maids are cleaning the rooms in US hotels. This is the policy of the Sofitel in Times Square.

The authorities have said that the housekeeper at the Sofitel knocked on the door to Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s suite, called out to announce herself, used her master keycard to open the door, and left the work cart in the doorway, keeping it open.

Every action of that door is recorded from it being opened to whether or not it was shut and when. The system differentiates between the maids pass card and the hotel guest’s card.

‘Strong’ Forensic Evidence Exists

DNA evidence has been taken from both the Ghanian maid and Strauss-Kahn. The NYPD department says the forensic evidence supports their demand that the French IMF chief be held without bail, at least until his Friday court date.  If his DNA is on her lips, that is relevant.

If his semen is anywhere on her body, that is relevant. If he has any scratches and her DNA on his body, it is relevant.  ABC News reports that the housekeeper claims that she was forced to submit to anal sex. (OMG!)

Again, that’s not a matter of speculation.Medical professionals will know if the woman had anal sex. 

“I have confidence in American justice,” said the French ecology and transport minister, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet. “It’s so French to see conspiracies everywhere; it’s something I believe that’s in our culture.”

We agree, even though America is as inclined to see conspiracy theories, as are the French.

I am no big lover of the NYPD, having been falsely accused of being a prostitute years ago — simply because I was walking down a street in Harlem on a Saturday afternoon with my roommate. She was doing volunteer work, and I met her. I filed a claim against the NYPD and won my case. 

Spotlight on NYPD

However, I seriously doubt that the NYPD would put the organization center stage in the world spotlight, without a strong case.

Specialists in sexual assault were in the hotel within minutes of the maid allegedly fleeing the IMF chief’s suite. They are trained to distinguish between fictional stories and legitimate sexual assault cases. The hotel videos cameras were immediately reviewed.

Based on their review of the evidence at hand, the NYPD made their decisions to act. Strauss-Kahn gave them the opportunity they needed, phoning the hotel about his other missing phone and sharing details of where they could find him. 

Without prejudging the case in any way, if the cameras and forensic evidence support the maid’s claim, then the conspiracy theorists can argue:

1) Strauss-Kahn’s enemies actually managed to know who would be his maid and contact her for the sexual assault setup in his short stay at the hotel.

2) Strauss-Kahn seduced the woman, who willingly agreed to do what he wanted. He slipped her a few bills and she did his bidding. If she’s beaten up, it’s because she likes her sex hard core and/or was paid enough money to do it.  Or he didn’t have to pay her because he is known as ‘the Seducer’ and the maid just ‘had to have it’.

As to the question of irrationality and ‘what was he thinking?’, powerful men have long worked in strange ways.

Sexual Addiction, Power and Entitlement

“Intellect and emotions run on different tracks,” said Dr. Rob Weiss, founder and director of Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles. “These people aren’t thinking of the consequences at the time. They’re so aroused by what they’re going to do that, for a few minutes, they’re lost in that experience.”

Men who work long hours in stressful positions, for example, might feel as if they deserve a sexual encounter they know to be inappropriate.

“They’ll work to convince themselves that a situation is OK when it’s not,” he said.

And while sex addiction and violence need not go hand in hand, the “high” that addicts feel during the pursuit of sex can skew their perception of reality, making them think something is consensual when it isn’t. via ABC

If the cameras and forensic evidence aren’t as strong as the NYPD states, then they have behaved in a manner that should concern us all. I personally doubt that is the case, but we must wait for the justice system to work in New York.  Anne