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Hotel Maid IDs IMF Head As Her Attacker, "Le Perv" Does "Le Perp Walk"
By
Jen Chung
Published May 16, 2011
Modified May 16, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 16, 2011
Modified May 16, 2011
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Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the high-profile French politician and head of the International Monetary Fund, agreed to submit DNA evidence as he faces accusations that he forced a hotel maid to perform oral sex on Saturday. Last night, the 62-year-old "appeared grim-faced and kept his mouth shut late Sunday night as he was taken, handcuffed, from the Manhattan office of the NYPD's special victims unit to the medical facility," the Daily News reports. Strauss-Kahn, whose lawyers say will plead not guilty, faces arraignment today, meaning there's a media circus at Manhattan Criminal Court.
The maid, a 32-year-old African immigrant, identified Strauss-Kahn in a police lineup. While Strauss-Kahn did agree to the DNA evidence, police sources claim that only happened after they got a warrant. The Post reports, "Earlier in the day, Strauss-Kahn was outraged that he wasn't getting the VIP treatment he's accustomed to as the jet-setting head of the International Monetary Fund and darling of the French left, a police source told The Post. Cops 'are not thrilled by the French idiot, or his attorney,' [celebrity defense lawyer Benjamin] Brafman, the source said.
According to police, Strauss-Kahn allegedly attacked the maid, who thought his $3,000 hotel suite was empty, in the early afternoon on Saturday, and tried to lock her in the room. He then, police say, seemed to "leave in a hurry," leaving his cellphone and other personal belongings in the room and headed to JFK Airport to take an Air France flight (he has special privileges that allows him First Class passage on any Air France flight). Strauss-Kahn happened to call the hotel to say he left his phone, so the cops told the hotel staff to say they had it. He then said he was at the airport, where Port Authority police removed him from the flight that was 10 minutes from taking off to Paris.
Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance is asking for a multi-million dollar bail; while Strauss-Kahn's passport has been taken away, a source told the Post, "The concern of the DA's office is there is no extradition treaty with France, and this guy could pull a Polanski."
As for the victim, the NY Times says she "lives in the Bronx with a daughter who is in her teens." A neighbor said, "They’re good people. Every time I see her I’m happy because we’re both from Africa. She’s never given a problem for nobody. Never noisy. Everything nice." The Daily News says that police sources say cops have no reason to doubt her story. And another maid at the Sofitel told the Times "that her superiors had asked other hotel employees not to question the woman about what happened. 'The office said, "Don’t ask too much because she is sad,"' the maid said. 'Just give her a hug when she comes back.'"
Tagged
attack
benjamin brafman
dna
dominique strauss-kahn
gallery
imf
international monetary fund
jfk airport
sexual attack
sofitel
Times Square
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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