Despite ending with the dismissal of all charges, it seems to me at least a bit of rough justice was achieved.
First, what is rough justice? Well it is not a Rolling Stones lyric or a new footwear company. Rather to me it simply means “getting it mostly right”.
DSK: For having some level of forced sex with a hotel maid (we will never know what if any of his despicable behavior was consensual) he is denied a run for Prime Minister; outed to the world as a sexual deviant with poor judgment; and finally, between attorneys fees and legal expenses (remember he paid for his house arrest), his wallet (or rather his wife’s wallet) is lighter by a few million dollars. Not perfect, but punishment to be sure.
Ms. Diallo: She had filed a civil suit against DSK. My guess is she will likely get something in the mid-six figures with her agreement to keep the event confidential at the heart of negotiations. Surely no amount of money can compensate her for enduring what appears to be the violence of that afternoon. But we are talking about “rough justice”.
And for all of us watching: A criminal justice system that get’s it mostly right – eventually.