Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

The sensational sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn (62), former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and potential French presidential candidate, even more sensationally collapsed on Tuesday, after Judge Michael Obus of a State Supreme Court in Manhattan dismissed the criminal case entirely.

The dismissal came a day after the prosecuting District Attorney (DA) recommended that the rape charges brought against Mr. Strauss-Kahn by hotel housekeeper Nafissatou Diallo (33) be dropped, though Ms. Diallo's lawyer Kenneth Thompson had criticised DA Cyrus Vance's decision saying, “He has not only turned his back on this victim but he has also turned his back on the forensic, medical and other physical evidence in this case.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Judge Obus had also issued a written ruling denying a request by Ms. Diallo's lawyers to remove the DA from the case and appoint a Special Prosecutor instead.

Following the dramatic airport arrest of one of the world's most powerful financiers three months ago the plaintiff's side suffered a series of setbacks especially following a major turnaround in Mr. Vance's stance last month.

At the time the DA's office cited a “substantial credibility issue” against Ms. Diallo, whom it accused of lying on her asylum application about having been gang-raped in the past, a letter submitted by prosecutors said. Following that shift in position, Judge Obus lifted Mr. Strauss-Kahn's house arrest and bail.

While the latest decision is tantamount to a clear victory for Mr. Strauss-Kahn's team, their client is not entirely in the clear yet as Ms. Diallo has also launched a civil case against him and he faces a another legal inquiry in France from an writer who has alleged that Mr. Strauss-Kahn “forced himself on her during a 2003 interview in Paris.”

According to reports Ms. Diallo's attorneys also intended to take the case to France “where they had been trying to establish a pattern of sexual abuse by Strauss-Kahn and had tried to contact other women who may have had similar encounters.”