by katrina custardo
It’s not really surprising that after Donald Trump, an alleged sexual assaulter, was elected president, cases such as this will start happening more and more often. This one comes from Connecticut: Christopher von Keyserling, a Republican politician in the state, has been arrested for pinching a woman’s genitals after having a brief argument with her.
In the woman’s warrant, she contends that von Keyserling encountered her in the hallway saying, “I no longer have to be politically correct.” The women responded that if he was proud of that, “I can’t help you.” He then called her a “lazy, bloodsucking union employee” and followed her into an office claiming to want to talk to her coworker. The warrant said the coworker left, and then the woman, who didn’t want to be around von Keyserling, left as well. However, as she left, von Keyserling reached beneath her skirt and pinched her genitals. When the woman threatened to hit him if he did it again, von Keyserling responded with, “it would be your word against mine, and nobody will believe you.”
The incident was caught on the security camera, and the footage is consistent with what the woman said in the warrant, so there’s no disputing on whether this man is guilty of sexual assault. This is especially true when we consider that the woman found out that von Keyserling had supposedly behaved like this with other employees.
Von Keyserling’s lawyer told Time that this was only “a playful gesture, in front of witnesses,” and that it is “too trivial to be considered anything of significance.” His lawyer further said, “To call it sexual assault is not based in reality.” Except, no. You’re wrong, von Keyserling and von Keyserling’s lawyer. You could not be more wrong. You are wrong in regard to literally everything you said. This is not a playful gesture. This has a huge significance. This is sexual assault. Von Keyserling touched a woman — without her consent — in the groin. He was caught on tape touching her without her consent and then daring her to tell someone. This is predator behavior, and he should lose his job for this.
What is possibly more frightening than what this predator politician did is what he said beforehand: “I no longer have to be politically correct.” So not being a sexual predator is being politically correct? And now that you supposedly no longer have to be politically correct, you are free from the law to sexually assault people? This mindset is dangerous, and these people who follow this mindset are dangerous.
With Trump being caught on tape encouraging sexual assault, this behavior is suddenly seeming to be OK when it is not. This politician was caught on tape sexually assaulting a woman and telling her no one would believe her if she told anyone. This is exactly what people were, and are, worried about. Trump’s comments, and now this politician’s behavior, are starting to normalize sexual assault, calling it “playful.” Sexual assault is not normal. It is not “playful.” It is a disgusting violation of someone’s body.
Von Keyserling deserves to rot in jail for his violation of that woman’s body. It was caught on tape, he admitted to it, yet he and his lawyer insist it’s not reality to call it sexual assault.
Well, this is reality. Reality is that even if sexual assault is caught on camera, the perpetrators will never be held accountable. And It’s Beginning.