Legal Momentum Responds to IMF Chief Sexual Assault Case

May 18, 2011 -

In a letter to the editor of The New York Times, Legal Momentum President Elizabeth Grayer responds to the sexual assault charges against former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The letter was published in the Times on May 18, 2011.

To the Editor:

Re "'I Didn’t Wish to Be the Girl Who Had a Problem ...'" (news article, May 17):

You report that another woman has accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempted rape. The article said that she had not previously filed suit because her mother told her that the accusation would follow her around for the rest of her life.

This sentiment highlights a key barrier to securing justice for sexual assault victims. Few victims want to report because they will be forever marked as the accuser or the victim of their perpetrator.

Victims of other crimes do not wear their accusations like a scarlet letter. If the alleged crime had been attempted theft, it seems likely that her mother would have urged her to report to protect herself and future victims. Why is attempted rape different?

We must re-examine our attitude toward sexual violence to ensure that victims report, perpetrators are brought to justice, and future victims are spared.

ELIZABETH GRAYER
President, Legal Momentum
New York, May 17, 2011

Read Legal Momentum's letter to the editor in The New York Times.

Learn more about Legal Momentum's work on women and violence.