Strauss-Kahn awaits court judgement on civil case
A judge may decide today whether former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn will face a civil case accusing him of sexually assaulting a hotel maid.
The 62-year-old was charged last year with attempted rape and other crimes after the encounter with Nafissatou Diallo in New York, but the criminal case was dropped after prosecutors lost faith in her credibility.
However she vowed to have her day in court, and sued Strauss-Kahn. She maintains he attacked her when she came to clean his luxury suite at the Sofitel Hotel.
The first hearing in the civil case is scheduled for today. Neither the 33-year-old nor Strauss-Kahn is expected to attend.
The proceeding is likely to deal with complex laws that shield diplomats from prosecution and lawsuits in their host countries.
Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have argued the one-time French presidential candidate is immune under a 1947 UN agreement that afforded the privilege to heads of "specialized agencies," including the International Monetary Fund. Strauss-Kahn was carrying a travel document at the time that said he was entitled to those immunities, his lawyers say.
Ms Diallo's lawyers say the argument misses the point.
When police pulled him from an Air France flight and arrested him, Strauss-Kahn also declared he had diplomatic immunity, but the IMF said he did not because he was in New York on personal business - visiting his daughter.
Since then, Strauss-Kahn has seen his sexual behaviour scrutinised internationally. On Monday he was handed preliminary charges in France alleging he was involved in a hotel prostitution ring including prominent city figures and police in Lille.
Investigating judges questioned him for about eight hours and gave him preliminary charges of "aggravated procurement in an organised gang." Under French law, preliminary charges mean authorities have reason to believe a crime was committed but allow more time for investigation.
A judge has barred him from speaking with media until further investigation.
His French lawyer said he engaged in "libertine" acts but did nothing legally wrong, and is being unfairly targeted for his extramarital sex life.
