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Charges Dropped, Strauss-Kahn Wants "Normal Life" After "Nightmare"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 23, 2011
Modified Aug 23, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 23, 2011
Modified Aug 23, 2011
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Earlier today a judge officially dismissed the sexual assault charges against former IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn. A motion filed by his accuser's attorney, Kenneth Thompson, to appoint a special prosecutor was denied, and then appealed, but the appeals court later agreed with the initial judge in that it "had no legal basis," the Times reports.
Strauss-Kahn, who is expected to return to France very shortly for the first time in nearly three months, released a statement following the dismissal:
These past two and a half months have been a nightmare for me and my family. I want to thank all the friends in France and in the United States who have believed in my innocence, and to the thousands of people who sent us their support personally and in writing. I am most deeply grateful to my wife and family who have gone through this ordeal with me.
We also want to express our appreciation to Judge Obus and his staff and especially to all the people who work in this court who made such an effort to protect my wife and me whenever we came here.
Finally, we are obviously gratified that the District Attorney agreed with my lawyers that this case had to be dismissed. We appreciate his professionalism and that of the people who were involved in that decision.
We will have nothing further to say about this matter and we look forward to returning to our home and resuming something of a more normal life.
The Wall Street Jourmal reports that "throngs" of protestors and members of the international media filled the area outside the Manhattan Supreme Court building. One protestor told the Times, "We're talking about a woman who has no power against a man who has all the power in the world."
Thompson released a statement condemning the District Attorney, and vowed to continue his crusade against Strauss-Kahn in Diallo's civil case pending in the Bronx: “We are disappointed that District Attorney Vance apparently does not believe in equal justice under the law. We will now take our fight in the civil case.”
Tagged
crime
dominique strauss-kahn
dsk
france
le perv
nypd
rape
sexual assault
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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