Wow. And people think submissives are the only people taking a risk in the SM scene. Imagine having your whole life turned upside down because somebody didn't know where a fantasy ended and the real world began. I feel sorry for Fritsch and Wilson--this completely sucks.
The case has stirred discussions in the BDSM community about dealing with false accusations. It's a tough situation: I don't know how Wilson and Fritsch feel they were treated by the police, but I know that cops should take it seriously when someone claims to have been kidnapped and raped. I do want more SM-friendly cops and courts, but I don't want a return to the "Ah, they were asking for it" school of thought about sexual assault.
So how to ensure that an unbalanced or disgruntled submissive play-partner won't call 911 after a consensual scene? Here's my answer: You go slow, you get to know someone, and you build mutual trust. Or else you realize the person's not trustworthy, and you bail.
I don't mean you can't ever play with folks you've just met--I certainly do. But suit the scene to the level of trust in the relationship. There is a big difference between putting people you just met over your knee and slapping their ass and arranging a mock-kidnapping scene via e-mail. Yes, the sexy-stranger kidnapping is a hot fantasy. But not all fantasies can be fulfilled exactly as we wish. Gamble on your instincts and play heavy with strangers if you must--but understand that you could end up doing the perp walk on the local news.
