Protection from psychopaths

A criticism sometimes made of Code d’ Odalisque is that it places too much emphasis upon safety and that play is “over regulated” with rules. Part of the reason for this emphasis on safety, and upon protecting the odalisque from harm, is historical. Some of the redrafting of the Code was done during a time when the so-called ‘Internet Killer’ – John Edward Robinson (see photo above) – was in the news. Robinson’s case was, and is, a cautionary tale, and no one should imagine for a minute that it was an isolated case. Robinson is a serial killer convicted for at least five murders, and it is believed he committed many more. His technique for finding victims was to pose as a “Slave Master” on internet chat forums, targeting submissive females. In several cases that we know of, unsuspecting submissive women gave their trust to him and paid with their lives. In one case, a victim signed a 138 point ‘Slave Contract” with him, giving him total control of her life, including all her bank accounts. Like his other victims, she was beaten to death with a hammer and her body was left to rot in a barrel. Posing as a “Slave Master” Robinson trawled his way through the BDSM scene and poor, unsuspecting victims lined up for him. He found no shortage of interested females.

In view of cases like this, Code d’ Odalisque has been crafted with safety in mind. It is designed to be unattractive to psychopathic males, for a start. Under the Code Slavemasters are subject to all sorts of rules and checks and balances to ensure they do not abuse their power. Equally, slaves are given rights and privileges to help protect them from abuses. Most important, though, is the principle of “triangulation” – namely that play requires additional players beyond the Master/slave relationship. The common factor in all dangerous situations is isolation. Psychopaths are almost invariably lone wolves. There is safety in numbers. Under Code d’ Ode, a female slave has the right to an Overmistress – an independent protector who is charged with looking after her safety and interests at all times. There are also ‘Slavetraders’ who are non-sexual players, independent of Slavemasters. It is undesirable for a slave to have an isolated one-on-one arrangement with a Slavemaster. Instead, there should be others involved. This is at least some protection against maniacs.

Moreover, Code d’ Odalisque is a non-violent system of slave play. There is no sado-masochism. It is non-SM. Accordingly, it does not attract males who get their thrills from power and violence. Characters like John Edward Robinson are invariably sado-masochists. Their whole psychology is built around power, violence and cruelty. They find a natural home in the BDSM scene that provides them with a rich source of hapless victims. Code d’ Odalisque is designed to keep away men like this. And it is designed to provide a safety net for submissive females.

‘Triangulation’ means that there should be (at least) three people involved. A Contract, under the Code, requires three signatures, for example. The victims of Robinson signed slave contracts with him, but in every case it was just him and them. He isolated the female and made sure no one else knew of their arrangement. In Code d’ Ode, if a man and a woman want to start a Master/slave arrangement, the first thing they need to do is to find a third person to witness their contract. It is important, for safety reasons, that someone else knows what is going on. Even better if the slave has an Overmistress who will keep an eye on her and look after her welfare. An isolated Master/slave relationship, with a powerful male and a submissive female, is an inherently dangerous arrangement. From the start, Code d’ Odalisque was designed to counter such dangers and to ensure that play happens in a wider network of people. This is why the Code places so much emphasis upon safety and the rights of the odalisque. There are psychopaths out there – the Code tries to protect against them.

Submissive women – precisely because they are submissive – are vulnerable. The mission of the Code is to provide a safe environment for odalisques. Women are advised to embrace the Code and to see it as a safety net. Insist that men observe the Code. The case of Robinson is a grim reminder of the dangers of the Master/slave lifestyle. The Code was written with that in mind. We are happy to be criticized for being “over-protective” and for “over-regulating” Slavekeepers. An odalisque is a treasure. She needs protection. Our motto is: Protect, Nurture, Enjoy. It is very important to protect our women from sado-masochistic monsters like Robinson.