The former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released from house arrest following revelations that his alleged victim may not be the most credible. I’ve seen several posts from friends, namely those associated witH Duke in some way, hearkening back to the Duke lacrosse case.
There are similarities, it seems, but a looming concern is how this might affect asylum seekers. Last week, journalist Jose Antonio Vargas published an inspired piece on his struggle to remain in the US, but likely fueled a lot of the “immigrants are all criminals” set with his tales of fudging papers ad skirting laws to retain some status. Now, with DSK’s accuser accused of lying on her own asylum application and possibly exaggerating the danger she faced in her home country, it’s hard to know what the impact will be. I fear that women who come seeking asylum with similar stories of repression will find it even harder to find relief in a system in which the odds are already stacked against them.
ERIN K. FLETCHER 