NEW YORK – The head of the International Monetary Fund must remain jailed at least until his next court hearing for attempted rape and other charges, a judge said Monday.
A tired and grim-looking Dominique Strauss-Kahn appeared before the Manhattan judge to face charges of attempted rape, sex abuse, a criminal sex act, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. The top count is punishable by five to 25 years in prison.
Strauss-Kahn is accused of attacking a maid who went in to clean his penthouse suite Saturday at a luxury hotel near Times Square. Defense attorney Benjamin Brafman says his client denies any wrongdoing.
The charges stunned the global financial world and upended French presidential politics. A member of France's Socialist party, Strauss-Kahn was widely considered the strongest potential challenger next year to President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose political fortunes have been flagging.
Manhattan prosecutors asked the judge to hold Strauss-Kahn without bail, saying his position as IMF head had taken him out of the country previously and that the IMF leader was wealthy and doesn't live in New York.
"He has almost no incentive to stay in this country and every incentive to leave," Assistant District Attorney John A. McConnell said. "If he went to France, we would have no legal mechanism to guarantee his return to this country."
Defense attorneys had suggested bail be set at $1 million and promised the IMF managing director would remain in New York City.
The 32-year-old maid told authorities that when she entered his spacious, $3,000-a-night suite early Saturday afternoon, she thought it was unoccupied. Instead, Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom naked, chased her down a hallway and pulled her into a bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her, New York Police Department spokesman Paul J. Browne said.
The woman told police she fought him off, but then he dragged her into the bathroom, where he forced her to perform oral sex on him and tried to remove her underwear. The woman was able to break free again, escaped the room and told hotel staff what had happened, authorities said.
Strauss-Kahn was gone by the time detectives arrived moments later. He left his cellphone behind.
The NYPD discovered he was at John F. Kennedy International Airport and contacted officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport. Port Authority police officers arrested him.
The maid was taken by police to a hospital and was treated for minor injuries.
Authorities are investigating at least one other case in New York of "conduct similar to the conduct alleged" at the Sofitel, McConnell said in court Monday.
A tired and grim-looking Dominique Strauss-Kahn appeared before the Manhattan judge to face charges of attempted rape, sex abuse, a criminal sex act, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. The top count is punishable by five to 25 years in prison.
Strauss-Kahn is accused of attacking a maid who went in to clean his penthouse suite Saturday at a luxury hotel near Times Square. Defense attorney Benjamin Brafman says his client denies any wrongdoing.
The charges stunned the global financial world and upended French presidential politics. A member of France's Socialist party, Strauss-Kahn was widely considered the strongest potential challenger next year to President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose political fortunes have been flagging.
Manhattan prosecutors asked the judge to hold Strauss-Kahn without bail, saying his position as IMF head had taken him out of the country previously and that the IMF leader was wealthy and doesn't live in New York.
"He has almost no incentive to stay in this country and every incentive to leave," Assistant District Attorney John A. McConnell said. "If he went to France, we would have no legal mechanism to guarantee his return to this country."
Defense attorneys had suggested bail be set at $1 million and promised the IMF managing director would remain in New York City.
The 32-year-old maid told authorities that when she entered his spacious, $3,000-a-night suite early Saturday afternoon, she thought it was unoccupied. Instead, Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom naked, chased her down a hallway and pulled her into a bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her, New York Police Department spokesman Paul J. Browne said.
The woman told police she fought him off, but then he dragged her into the bathroom, where he forced her to perform oral sex on him and tried to remove her underwear. The woman was able to break free again, escaped the room and told hotel staff what had happened, authorities said.
Strauss-Kahn was gone by the time detectives arrived moments later. He left his cellphone behind.
The NYPD discovered he was at John F. Kennedy International Airport and contacted officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport. Port Authority police officers arrested him.
The maid was taken by police to a hospital and was treated for minor injuries.
Authorities are investigating at least one other case in New York of "conduct similar to the conduct alleged" at the Sofitel, McConnell said in court Monday.
45 Comments
- 34 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentRobert Report Abuse
a socialist, staying in a $3000 per night hotel room. no doubt most of which is paid for by the american tax payer.
Replies (4) - 30 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentJ C Report Abuse
A socialist running the International Monetary Fund, and we wonder why were in a hole. Too sad to be funny:(
Reply - 24 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentklup Report Abuse
It's time to put all the progressive rapists and plunderers in jail forever. Liberals have destroyed this country and the world and they won't stop UNLESS STOPPED!
Replies (3) - 18 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentoracle2world Report Abuse
A nice hotel room in New York is $500 a night. A thousand tops.
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And the US contributes to the IMF?
US taxpayers money going to this creep? At $3,000 a night? - 17 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentJoe Report Abuse
Don't give him bail, you'll never see him again...remember a guy named Roman Polanski?
Reply - 15 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentoracle2world Report Abuse
Flight risk? That is a certainty.
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He would do ANYTHING to get back to France and avoid extradition.
And no country club prison for him. - 15 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentSesails Report Abuse
"Jail is for the little people" eh, Schumer.. Don't expect this to be on the alphabet networks.
Reply - 12 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentwafer Report Abuse
Hey Strauss-Kahn, we're not all European libs over here. The Italian PM pervert can run Caligula-like sessions in Europe; your own wife excuses your behavior. The "electorate" over in Europe just collectively shake their heads and laugh at your somewhat over the top pecadillos, then elect
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you back into office. The Roman Polanskis can have their way with 13 year olds over there. But we have some semblance of behavioral propriety in our country, and it doesn't tolerate your @#$%. Take your IMF, your UN, and the rest of your amoral bureaucratic zombies and go back to Europe. We have had enough of you. - 9 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentBuffdude Report Abuse
Time to leave the UN!
Reply - 16 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up. Please sign in to rate this comment down. 1 users disliked this commentMR.ED Report Abuse
with that kind of money you have to rape apoor little maid? time for a brain scan doc.
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