Truth and lies.
Jun. 27th, 2010 02:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sister_luckThere are two very different stories in the media here at the moment that both deal with rape and sexual assault. One is about a media person/celebrity being accused of rape; the other about a serial rapist finally caught after nineteen years of offences ranging from sexual harassment to brutal rape.
I read an article about the celebrity weatherman today that has left me angry and frustrated. You see, as it turns out, there are two court-appointed experts who say that the woman, a former lover, who shortly before the alleged offence took place found out that she was only one of half a dozen concurrent affairs, lied in several respects. The physical evidence is rejected as being fabricated by the woman herself.
When the story first broke, it went through the tabloids and caused quite the uproar how this likeable fellow, a bit scruffy, but charming, had a lover pining for him in every major city and turned out to be an evil rapist: Here read the gory details which we acquired through dubious means. Yep, lots of prejudging there, which I don't condone, especially as it was of an entirely sensationalist nature. Now the pendulum is swinging back. The article I read concluded that there was already a story in the bible about scorned women accusing men of rape and this is clearly what must have happened here. Poor deluded women who were so stupid to believe that minor celebrity was actually in love with them, how could they not see through his flimsy excuses? It's all because he is famous and they wanted the fame to rub off on them. And yes, feminism has done good for us, because now the men are willing to prosecute and believe the women, but the women are still following Potiphar's wife's example.
WTF? And written by a woman to boot. Whatever the court-case against Germany's favourite weatherman will find, this kind of article is just as irresponsible as prejudging the accused.
Back to the other case: The main modus operandi of the accused was to knock on doors and tell the women who answered that he had to go to the toilet but couldn't use his arms because of a disability and could you please help me? When they did, it became quite clear that his motive was sexual. There are also several counts of exhibitionism, attempted rape, and rape. He did that not only in Germany, but also in Belgium and the Netherlands. He is married with two children. He was finally caught because of a television appeal and a DNA match. He has confessed to more than 200 sexual offences.
I'm sure that I met that guy more than a decade ago when I still lived in university-owned student accommodation. It was one of the rare weekends that I stayed there instead of going back to SmallTown. He told me his sorry tale and I didn't quite believe him, but didn't want to accuse him of lying. A battle of wills started. I insisted that there must be other people who could help him. We looked into the telephone book for assistance. He got as far as the bathroom, which was right next to the door. He kept repeating that I must help. I declined, said I didn't feel comfortable about it and finally sent him away. It was creepy, but at the time I didn't think much of it, because nothing had happened: I didn't touch him, he didn't touch me. And maybe, just maybe, he had been genuine. The next day, I spoke to the female half of the caretaker/admin husband and wife team. She'd already been told about the guy. I don't know if the police were informed, though I suspect so, because there are several sexual harassment cases in student dorms of my town on the books. In hindsight I realize that I should have called the police the minute I closed the door on him. I should have done so, even though I might have been accusing someone falsely, even though there was no physical evidence, even though 'nothing' had happened.
I read an article about the celebrity weatherman today that has left me angry and frustrated. You see, as it turns out, there are two court-appointed experts who say that the woman, a former lover, who shortly before the alleged offence took place found out that she was only one of half a dozen concurrent affairs, lied in several respects. The physical evidence is rejected as being fabricated by the woman herself.
When the story first broke, it went through the tabloids and caused quite the uproar how this likeable fellow, a bit scruffy, but charming, had a lover pining for him in every major city and turned out to be an evil rapist: Here read the gory details which we acquired through dubious means. Yep, lots of prejudging there, which I don't condone, especially as it was of an entirely sensationalist nature. Now the pendulum is swinging back. The article I read concluded that there was already a story in the bible about scorned women accusing men of rape and this is clearly what must have happened here. Poor deluded women who were so stupid to believe that minor celebrity was actually in love with them, how could they not see through his flimsy excuses? It's all because he is famous and they wanted the fame to rub off on them. And yes, feminism has done good for us, because now the men are willing to prosecute and believe the women, but the women are still following Potiphar's wife's example.
WTF? And written by a woman to boot. Whatever the court-case against Germany's favourite weatherman will find, this kind of article is just as irresponsible as prejudging the accused.
Back to the other case: The main modus operandi of the accused was to knock on doors and tell the women who answered that he had to go to the toilet but couldn't use his arms because of a disability and could you please help me? When they did, it became quite clear that his motive was sexual. There are also several counts of exhibitionism, attempted rape, and rape. He did that not only in Germany, but also in Belgium and the Netherlands. He is married with two children. He was finally caught because of a television appeal and a DNA match. He has confessed to more than 200 sexual offences.
I'm sure that I met that guy more than a decade ago when I still lived in university-owned student accommodation. It was one of the rare weekends that I stayed there instead of going back to SmallTown. He told me his sorry tale and I didn't quite believe him, but didn't want to accuse him of lying. A battle of wills started. I insisted that there must be other people who could help him. We looked into the telephone book for assistance. He got as far as the bathroom, which was right next to the door. He kept repeating that I must help. I declined, said I didn't feel comfortable about it and finally sent him away. It was creepy, but at the time I didn't think much of it, because nothing had happened: I didn't touch him, he didn't touch me. And maybe, just maybe, he had been genuine. The next day, I spoke to the female half of the caretaker/admin husband and wife team. She'd already been told about the guy. I don't know if the police were informed, though I suspect so, because there are several sexual harassment cases in student dorms of my town on the books. In hindsight I realize that I should have called the police the minute I closed the door on him. I should have done so, even though I might have been accusing someone falsely, even though there was no physical evidence, even though 'nothing' had happened.
