The Advocates’ Women’s Program director Cheryl Thomas speaks out in the Tuesday, August 23 issue of The Daily Beast about the consequences of New York prosecutors’ decision to drop charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

 

After pursuing the case intently at first, prosecutors “caved,” dropping charges against Mr. Strauss-Kahn based on lack of confidence in the accuser’s credibility. This decision, says Thomas, sends a message that empowers rapists and reinforces blame-the-victim stereotypes. Thomas states, “The new message is in fact an ancient one. It is a lesson for all women, that dare you claim rape, the story will very quickly become about you—not the incident of sexual assault.”

 

“Dismissing these charges on the grounds of the woman’s credibility,” says Thomas, “reinforces a status quo that has silenced women for centuries.” To read the full article, click here: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/08/23/dsk-charges-dropped-a-bleak-day-for-rape-victims.html