Tristane Banon previously made the allegation against Strauss-Kahn in on television, but she had not lodged a formal complaint with authorities. A former finance minister, Strauss-Kahn had been expected to throw his hat into the ring for the French election, challenging Sarkozy. News of his arrest threw the Socialist party into disarray, and could prove a boost for Sarkozy, who is also facing a challenge from Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front.
IMF chief denied bail over alleged sex assault. Please try again later. The Sydney Morning Herald. By Sebastian Smith May 16, — 5. The year-old, silver-haired Strauss-Kahn said nothing as a lawyer professed his innocence and strove in vain to get him released on bail. The judge ruled against him after prosecutors warned that the wealthy banker might flee to France and put himself beyond the reach of U. Strauss-Kahn is accused of attacking a maid who had gone in to clean his penthouse suite on Saturday afternoon at a luxury hotel near Times Square.
He is charged with attempted rape, sex abuse, a criminal sex act, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. The most serious charge carries five to 25 years in prison. Strauss-Kahn, who has headed the international lending agency since , was in New York on personal business and was paying his own way, so he cannot claim diplomatic immunity, the IMF said.
He could seek that protection only if he were conducting official business, spokesman William Murray said. The agency's executive board met informally on Monday for a report on the charges against Strauss-Kahn, its managing director. The year-old maid told authorities that she thought the suite was empty but that Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom naked, chased her down a hallway, pulled her into a bedroom and dragged her into a bathroom, police said.
He seized her breasts, tried to pull down her pantyhose, grabbed at her crotch and forced her to perform oral sex on him during the encounter at about noon, according to a court complaint. She ultimately broke free, escaped the room and told hotel staffers what had happened, authorities said.
She was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. He has instead, as GlobalPost's Mort Rosenblum writes from Paris, " shamed a society that is not easy to shock. Much of France's shock has now turned to anger and suspicion, the New York Times writes, with many questioning the police account, the public images of him in handcuffs and the possibility that he was set up. He was referring to the initial account that Strauss-Kahn fled the hotel to get on a plane to leave the country.
It now appears he might have left the hotel, had lunch with his daughter and then gone to the airport. In this timeline of events by Reuters, Strauss-Kahn allegedly attacked the hotel maid at about noon on Saturday. He then checked out, had lunch and boarded the Air France plane at 4 PM.
Anne Sinclair "does not believe for a second the accusations against her husband", French BFM television said in a banner headline, citing a statement from Sinclair. The alleged victim has been described as "female, black, 32 years old," a police spokesman told AFP, unable to confirm reports that the IMF chief forced the maid to perform oral sex on him before sexually assaulting her a second time after locking the door to the suite.
She thought it was empty. That's when he approached her from behind and touched her inappropriately. He forced her to perform a sexual act on him," the police spokesman said. Strauss-Kahn, so well known in France he is often referred to simply as DSK, had been topping the polls for the presidency even though he has not yet declared his candidacy. News of his arrest threw the Socialist party into disarray, and could prove a boost for Sarkozy, who is also facing a challenge from Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front.
The arrest triggered speculation across France that Strauss-Kahn had been set up for political motives, either because of his position as IMF chief or as a potential election candidate.
It is not the first time that Strauss-Kahn has been tainted by scandal.
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