NY Post Smears DSK Rape Victim as "Hooker," Can't Back Up Their Claim

The New York Post's sensational headline calling the hotel maid who reported being raped by Dominique Strauss-Kahn a "hooker" probably sold a lot of papers. Too bad the claim is completely unsubstantiated, not to mention irrelevant, sexist, and offensive.

As a petition launched against the NY Post on Change.org points out, participating in sex work does not make a woman incapable of being raped, although smearing the "working girl" is a typical tactic used to discredit victims. "Our culture has no sympathy for a woman we consider to be less than pristine," commented National Organization for Women-NYC Executive Director Sonia Ossorio.

"Not only is this abhorrently sexist, but it takes on a grossly racist tone," states the petition. "Black women have been historically cast as 'Jezebels'—a synonym for 'hooker'—which has been used as the reason why Black women could not possibly be 'good' (meaning 'sympathetic' or 'relatable') rape victims."

"I just couldn't stand by and couldn't stand being angry without doing something about it," says Andrea Plaid, who formed the Coalition to Support Sexual-Violence Victims and Survivors and started the petition on Change.org in response to the NY Post article. "Everyone who signs is saying to NY Post that no one has the right to put their hands on anyone else, literally and metaphorically--in the case of NY Post, not journalistically." The petition is supported by SisterSongNYC, Women's Media Center, and End Violence Against Women, which is organizing the New York Slutwalk.

Furthermore, it appears that this smear by the NY Post -- which has resulted in a libel suit against them -- was basically made up. An article by Erik Wemple in the Washington Post looks deeper into the "salacious" story, which relied on a single anonymous source identified as "close to the defense investigation." But the claim, that the maid was placed at Sofitel Hotel by her union to rake in "big bucks" through sex work, isn't substantiated. In fact, it's directly contradicted by the union, which provided documentation proving that it had no part in getting her the job.

The NY Post failed to mention the existence of these documents. Instead, after printing their baseless assertion, which seems to have about the weight of a rumor, "the New York Post wrote nearly 30 paragraphs of copy blasting the accuser from various angles." Wemple reports that he's been unable to get a response from the NY Post, but that the union statements back up the libel suit's argument that the tabloid "knew, or should have known” they were publishing falsehoods.

This kind of victim-shaming coverage has far-reaching impact. Sexual assault survivors advocacy groups have raised concerns that the negative media attention will deter other rape victims from coming forward. This is already a huge problem: only 40% of sexual assaults are reported to police, a mere half of those result in arrest, and even fewer end up prosecuted, according to Department of Justice figures compiled by RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

You can tell the New York Post to stop degrading sexual assault survivors by signing the petition here.

Photo credit: whatleydude