The squalid court case just ended over an alleged sexual encounter in the mid-90s between Donald Trump and a saleswoman in a shop fitting room was always likely to end badly for him. Bizarre as the episode sounded, any accusation would seem credible given Trump's own record and the establishment's dislike of him.
But nothing counts more against him in the post-MeToo, "Believe women" era than the fact that he is a man.
A New Zealand politician summed up the spirit of the age recently when she said, "I know what causes violence in this world and it's white cis men." Though forced to backtrack subsequently, Marama Davidson's spur-of-the-moment comment shows a common prejudice.
Local media did their best to demonstrate that it was more or less true, especially when it comes to family violence.
Yet, consider the case of Utah mom Kouri Richins, which is grabbing headlines in the American media this week after her arrest for the murder of her husband, Eric Richins.
According to KPCW news website, Eric died on March 4 last year of a massive overdose of the opioid painkiller Fentanyl, apparently administered in a strong vodka mix known as a Moscow Mule. At the time she spun a story for authorities that was full of holes, and subsequent investigations revealed several suspicious circumstances.
A sister of Eric said her brother thought an episode several years before was an attempt by his wife to poison him with a drink she mixed for him. Then, after dinner with his wife on Valentine's Day 2022, he had a severe allergic reaction.
An acquaintance of Kouri who supplied her with two lots of Fentanyl came forward.
Shortly before Eric's death he found she that had changed a life-insurance policy for himself and his business partner, putting it in her name. He also disagreed with her about a property deal around the time of his death. And there was much more.
In fact, there was so much evidence one wonders why police took so long to act on it. Were they just trying to make their case as watertight as possible - for the sake of the Richins family, perhaps, since they are well known in the community?
Another question. If the sister's testimony is correct, Eric Richins suspected for several years that his wife wanted to get rid of him. Why did he not divorce her, or at least take a lot more care about what he ate and drank with her? Perhaps to protect their three young sons, who would suffer a lot from the separation and scandal.
The biggest mystery of all, however, is Kouri Richins' apparent confidence that she had got away with her crime - if that is what the Court finds it is.
On March 7, a few days after the anniversary of Eric's death and two months before her arrest, she published a picture book for children titled "Are you with me?" She then approached the KPCW television station for an interview, saying the book was designed "to offer comfort and solace to young minds."
It shows Eric with angel wings and a halo watching over their youngest child while he grows up. It was inspired, said Kouri, by her children's questions. During the interview (on the "Good Things Utah" programme), she said she would be publishing sequels. The next title was, "Mom, how far away is heaven?"
The interviewers commended her for being an amazing mom.
As if this macabre project weren't enough, as recently as May 5 she posted a reel of photos of herself and Eric to Facebook saying, "Life is just so damn hard without you here! The cards I have been dealt just seem like a game that cant be played."
Kouri Richins is not the only lady poisoner. When I Googled "woman arrested poisoning" there were over 11 million results. Kouri is at the top just now but there are women culprits from other parts of the US as well as Thailand, India and other exotic places.
Believe women? Not so fast. Men might use their fists and muscles more against women, but women can be just as ruthless in their own way - not to mention, sanctimonious.