http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-23/strauss-kahn-new-york-case-may-curb-libertine-ways-of-powerful-french-men.htmlStrauss-Kahn New York Case May Curb Libertine Ways of Powerful French Men
The arrest in New York of former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on charges of attempted rape is forcing men to watch what they say and emboldening women to challenge the modern-day version of France’s “droit de cuissage,” a feudal practice giving masters the right to have sex with female servants... Early reactions from male French commentators to the maid’s allegations sparked outrage. Jean-Francois Kahn, founder of weekly magazine Marianne and a witness at Strauss-Kahn’s third marriage in 1991, laughed as he said on state-owned radio station France Culture, that “there may have been a careless action, how should I put it… the shagging of a servant.” He later apologized...
While sexual assault and attempted rape allegations that Strauss-Kahn is accused of in New York are also crimes in his home country, the French have been more indulgent when it comes to the indiscretions of their politicians. “Earlier, kings had their droit de cuissage with servants in palaces; this looked like a powerful person trying it on a maid in a New York hotel,” Jean Quatremer, a journalist with newspaper Liberation, said in an interview...
The laissez-faire attitude gives powerful people in France a sense of impunity, said Claude Katz an attorney, specializing in sexual harassment cases. The Strauss-Kahn affair “can move the lines slowly but surely,” Katz said. “It will empower victims of sexual abuse in France because if a maid can speak against a powerful man, others will have a stronger voice.”
Laws reinforcing women’s rights and safety are relatively recent in France. The law making rape a crime dates back only to 1980. Earlier decrees were based on 19th century moral codes. A law on sexual-harassment was approved in 1992 and one on moral harassment was passed in 2002. The last bill to fight violence against women was passed last year. Government studies show there are 75,000 rapes a year in the country. Only about 10 percent of the victims filed complaints, women’s groups say...