Columns Oct 7, 2010 at 4:00 am

Consensual BDSM Perverted by Missouri Miserymongers

Comments

1
Ugh, I googled this case after reading about it on your blog. Lots of journalists trying to sound smart and psychology savvy by throwing around the word BDSM. This is just sexual abuse, there is literally no relation.
2
Stupid media, fact-checking is no longer de rigeur today. Apparently, they can't get that BDSM involves consent. This type of abuse is clearly non-consensual, the poor kid wasn't even in the position to give consent in the first place. Anyone who doesn't get the difference is no better than those abusing fuckturds.
3
@2 you're asking for a lot of subtle analysis and nuanced reporting--not likely in a sensational case like this.

All the trappings of BDSM are there, including a "slave contract". I don't think your average editor is going to break it down when they need a headline in the next 5 minutes.

Don't be surprised if "Master Ed" claims she consented as his defense. His attorneys may even try to use the contract as proof. Fortunately, I don't think a jury is likely to buy it.
4
So, a 16 year old, regardless of her economic setting, is not allowed to consent to having sex with an adult (over 18 male or female)? That's the ONLY thing in this case that is almost certainly illegal. Of course, what are the odds that Matisse had consensual sex with an adult male (or female) when she was 16 or younger? I'd say close to 100%. The point is that no one knows what was consensual in this case and what wasn't. Surely the "tortures" listed in the indictment have all been done either by Matisse or people close to her, and they probably don't consider themselves criminals. Lots of doms (and dommes) "loan" their slaves out to others, and lots of submissives get paid for their services (and for sex). Maybe Bagley is a complete asshole and an idiot, but so are lots of people into bdsm, that doesn't make them criminals.
5
@4:

I can only assume that you're defending Bagley because you don't know the details of this case.

[Statutory rape] is the ONLY thing in this case that is almost certainly illegal.

Now, I'm no lawyer, but I'm reasonably certain that it's illegal to threaten to kill somebody, especially when you also kill their pets to get your point across. And I'm willing to bet that there's some sort of law against forcibly performing home abortions on a woman with a coat hanger. Oh, and suffocating and electrocuting somebody until they go into cardiac arrest (which is how this case came to the attention of the authorities in the first place)? Also not legal.

When an evening of kinky fun ends with someone being airlifted to the hospital, "s/he consented" is not a get out of jail free card, even if it happens to be true. (And in this case, it probably isn't true. Bagley's victim apparently genuinely believed that she was Bagley's legal property. Moreover, she tried to use her safeword, and he ignored her.)
6
@4: The combination of the age differential and the desperate nature of homelessness is what removes the possibility of informed consent in my mind. A homeless, 16 year old, "mentally deficient" woman isn't someone who has a level of personal or social power that allows for freely-consenting power exchange.

Also, I'm fairly sure that Matisse hasn't performed abortions on anyone. She seems to allow her clients to use doctors.
7
@4 If she's mentally impaired and was homeless kid when Bagley found her, this girl isn't capable of legal consent. Probably some Stockholm syndrone going on too. Either the man is also too not-smart to understand that or else he's just a POS preying on a homeless girl.
8
DON'T READ THE INDICTMENT! ITS FUCKED UP!
9
I've been reading a little on narcissism. And it might be present here in a bad form of it. A 16 year old no matter how mature they think they are still needs some positive life experiences. Treat the pimp here as a level 3 sexual predator and get that message out to people. With drugs and alcohol I expect poor choices, but then it is the community job to clear the air and give a restart. Stabilize the kid over 2 years and see what she really thinks.

Please wait...

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