Just want to add – while I have srs reservations about the sex assault/rape charges against Assange, and the way in which they have been handled (which reeks of politicisation) and reported – I’m not in favour of minimising the allegations. Let the justice system do its work. Even if the handling has been awful, I have faith in the courts sorting stuff out effectively.
Smearing the complainants = not good.
This is the main reason why I’ve been reluctant to weight in on the Wikileaks thing one way or another.
Every single day, rape complainants already have to deal with too much bullshit about “making up” their allegations. I hate the idea that this will make things worse.
Yeah man.
Interesting Guardian interview with the prosecution lawyer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/08/julian-assange-rape-allegations
This is now turning into such a circus it is getting nuts. Quite how Jemima Khan for example thinks she is not implicitly making a judgement for Assange (despite stating to the contrary) by turning up at his court hearing is beyond me for example.
However, and its a big however, as Pearce rightly says, any charge of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously. Both sides are spinning this as hard as they can (and undermining the legal process at hand), and there doesn’t seem to be much critical thinking going on by many observers. Ironically one could argue that if conspiracies are in play, that this could be a ploy to benefit Assange and wikileaks by victimising/matyring him. Who has the most to gain? I’m not convinced there is a big conspiracy afoot by anyone. Let the evidence come out in court and judge then.