Strauss-Kahn released without bail
Source: Agencies |
July 2, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
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FORMER International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn walked out of court without bail yesterday after prosecutors said an extensive background investigation of the hotel housekeeper accusing him of sexual assault gave them pause.
Strauss-Kahn had been under house arrest for weeks in a Manhattan loft on US$6 million in cash and bond. The charges, which include attempted rape, have not been reduced, but the move signals that prosecutors do not believe the accusations are as ironclad as they once seemed.
The French politician's passport remained surrendered, and he will not be allowed to leave the country. One of his attorneys, Benjamin Brafman, said Strauss-Kahn would be free to travel within the United States.
The 32-year-old hotel maid accused Strauss-Kahn of chasing her through his luxury suite in May, trying to pull down her pantyhose and forcing her to perform oral sex.
"It is a great relief," said another of Strauss-Kahn's attorneys, William Taylor, adding that the case underscores "how easy it is for people to be charged with serious crimes and for there to be a rush to judgment."
He added: "It is so important in this country that people, especially the media, refrain from judgment until the facts are all in."
The accuser's attorney did not back down on the seriousness of the charges.
"From day one she has described a violent sexual assault that Dominique Strauss-Kahn committed against her," attorney Ken Thompson said.
"She has described that sexual assault many times, to prosecutors and to me, and she has never once changed a single thing about that encounter," he said.
He referred to media reports that his client was involved with a drug dealer, calling them lies.
Strauss-Kahn arrived at the courthouse yesterday morning and strode confidently up the granite steps with his wife, French journalist Anne Sinclair, at his side.
After the hearing, he walked out of the courthouse with his arm on her shoulder, smiling slightly at the crowd gathered outside.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn's allies are hoping that new doubts about the New York chambermaid who accused of him of sexual assault can help revive his 2012 French presidential bid.
Many in France welcomed the latest development - not only those who want to see Strauss-Kahn replace Nicolas Sarkozy as president, but also many who feel the American media and public have unfairly assumed the 62-year-old Frenchman is guilty of the charges he faces.
"Those who know Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not be surprised by this evolution of events," one of his French lawyers and a friend for 40 years, Leon Lef Forster, said.
Strauss-Kahn, a prominent member of France's Socialist Party, had been considered a leading contender for next year's presidential election before he was charged.
The deadline for declaring a candidacy is July 13.
Strauss-Kahn had been under house arrest for weeks in a Manhattan loft on US$6 million in cash and bond. The charges, which include attempted rape, have not been reduced, but the move signals that prosecutors do not believe the accusations are as ironclad as they once seemed.
The French politician's passport remained surrendered, and he will not be allowed to leave the country. One of his attorneys, Benjamin Brafman, said Strauss-Kahn would be free to travel within the United States.
The 32-year-old hotel maid accused Strauss-Kahn of chasing her through his luxury suite in May, trying to pull down her pantyhose and forcing her to perform oral sex.
"It is a great relief," said another of Strauss-Kahn's attorneys, William Taylor, adding that the case underscores "how easy it is for people to be charged with serious crimes and for there to be a rush to judgment."
He added: "It is so important in this country that people, especially the media, refrain from judgment until the facts are all in."
The accuser's attorney did not back down on the seriousness of the charges.
"From day one she has described a violent sexual assault that Dominique Strauss-Kahn committed against her," attorney Ken Thompson said.
"She has described that sexual assault many times, to prosecutors and to me, and she has never once changed a single thing about that encounter," he said.
He referred to media reports that his client was involved with a drug dealer, calling them lies.
Strauss-Kahn arrived at the courthouse yesterday morning and strode confidently up the granite steps with his wife, French journalist Anne Sinclair, at his side.
After the hearing, he walked out of the courthouse with his arm on her shoulder, smiling slightly at the crowd gathered outside.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn's allies are hoping that new doubts about the New York chambermaid who accused of him of sexual assault can help revive his 2012 French presidential bid.
Many in France welcomed the latest development - not only those who want to see Strauss-Kahn replace Nicolas Sarkozy as president, but also many who feel the American media and public have unfairly assumed the 62-year-old Frenchman is guilty of the charges he faces.
"Those who know Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not be surprised by this evolution of events," one of his French lawyers and a friend for 40 years, Leon Lef Forster, said.
Strauss-Kahn, a prominent member of France's Socialist Party, had been considered a leading contender for next year's presidential election before he was charged.
The deadline for declaring a candidacy is July 13.
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