> I guess being on the IMF, he isn't a "diplomat" of a foreign government, per se? > > Good thing he doesn't. It wouldn't be the first time a felonious diplomat just walked > out of a jail on immunity.
He's associated with an intra-governmental organization, but he's not a representative of a specific government, per se, so I guess it doesn't count?
I almost don't know what to think on this one. It really makes no sense either way.
How could he have possibly thought he could get away with it? And why attack some random maid? Was he just overcome with animal lust and attacked the first person he saw? Is he so drunk with power that he thought a lowly maid wouldn't dare bring charges against him?
And yet, if he really didn't do it, what motive would this maid have to make accusations? If she wanted money, it would seem like quietly blackmailing him would be a better way to go about it. Unless she's part of a political plot to bring him down, but even that sounds kind of far-fetched.
...but of course immunity should be [1] *ONLY* for actions related to his position and work at IMF.
E.g. if he would have heavily criticized some governors for their economics choices, he could not have been persecuted for his statements, no matter how harsh his words could have been
but I strongly doubt any IMF activity is related to sexual intercourses with maids (even worse in this case since she was non-consensual)
[1] and usually serious international institutions are pretty strict on this
> I guess being on the IMF, he isn't a "diplomat" of a foreign government, per se? > > Good thing he doesn't. It wouldn't be the first time a felonious diplomat just walked > out of a jail on immunity.
If he's not a Diplomat or Diplomatic staff attached to a foreign embassy then he doesn't have immunity. AFAIk the IMF is a financial body not a Diplomatic entity attached to any specific nation.
According to current News he's got quite a lot of previous form for womanising, sexually inappropriate behaviour and generally misbehaving with his winky.
> > Unless she's part of a political plot to bring him > > down, but even that sounds kind of far-fetched. > > i.e. A smear campaign? That thought had entered my mind (as well). > > I thought I heard that he was running against somebody else over there in France. > > And I'd bet the people in France are like; "What's the big deal?"
He was apparently going to be named as a presidential candidate. So while the "it's a conspiracy" comments might seem far-fetched...
> He's associated with an intra-governmental organization, but he's not a > representative of a specific government, per se, so I guess it doesn't count?
Aha... here's the answer:
Quote: Strauss-Kahn was ordered jailed at least until a court proceeding Friday. He cannot claim diplomatic immunity because he was in New York on personal business and was paying his own way, the IMF said.
So a rape attempt in his official capacity as president of the IMF would have got him off the hook? Damn, I'd need a secretary for that. Can I rape the maid today or not? lol
>So a rape attempt in his official capacity as president of the IMF would have got him off the hook?
Yeah. Pretty much.
Diplomatic immunity is a status created to prevent foreign governments from politically prosecuting and imprisoning visiting representatives and their families for strategic advantage. To avoid this, diplomates and their families are literally given immunity from any crime... so there is nothing a host government can do to falsely imprison a diplomat. Some diplomats take advantage of this for national interests, like espionage, sabotage, assassination, and whatnot while on diplomatic status. Some take advantage of it for personal reasons, like rape, steal, assault, and murder.
For example, in a 1983 case the New York City Police Department suspected a diplomat's son of 15 different rapes. The son was allowed to leave the United States without ever being taken to court because he claimed diplomatic immunity.
If you talk to businesses around the United Nations building, they routinely have diplomats walk out on their $300 dinner tab, or park their car on the sidewalk while they shop, or pocket some jewelry for the wife before going back to work. Some diplomats reason that the crime doesn't rise to a level the host government is willing to expel them over, so they get away with it, and flaunt it.
The only recourse the host government has is to expel the diplomat, or clandestinely "eliminate" the offending diplomat... ergo cloak and dagger secret agent crap of the cold war and more.
> > He's associated with an intra-governmental organization, but he's not a > > representative of a specific government, per se, so I guess it doesn't count? > > > Aha... here's the answer: > > Strauss-Kahn was ordered jailed at least until a court proceeding Friday. He cannot > claim diplomatic immunity because he was in New York on personal business and was > paying his own way, the IMF said.
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I surprised IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn doesn't have diplomatic immunity.
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