Dominique Strauss-Kahn rues New York hotel maid liaison Skip to main content

Dominique Strauss-Kahn rues New York hotel maid liaison

Click to play
New York prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against Strauss-Kahn last month, though he still faces a civil suit

Related Stories

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has described his liaison with a hotel maid in New York, over which he was charged with attempted rape, as "inappropriate".
In his first TV interview since charges were dropped, the ex-IMF chief said he regretted the affair had lost him his chance to stand for French president, but denied using violence.
He said he had been afraid and humiliated by the US justice system.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, resigned as IMF chief in May after his arrest.
The maid, Nafissatou Diallo, is bringing a civil suit against him.
The criminal charges were dropped in August when prosecutors said Ms Diallo's lack of credibility meant the case could not continue.
'Missed appointment' Mr Strauss-Kahn was questioned by Claire Chazal, a friend of his wife Anne Sinclair, on the main Sunday night bulletin of France's TV1 - watched by a huge audience.
"What happened was more than an inappropriate relationship. It was an error," he said, adding that he regretted it infinitely.

Analysis

image of Christian Fraser Christian Fraser BBC News, Paris
Dominique Strauss-Kahn had waited a fortnight to give his side of the story. "Everyone has had their chance", he said, "except me."
He brought with him a copy of the New York prosecutor's report. "There was neither violence nor coercion nor aggression or any criminal act," he said. "Neither scratches or injuries, no sign of violence. Not my words but the words of the prosecutor."
Since his return to France, a team of lawyers and advisers have been heavily involved in the negotiations for this interview. But scripted or not, there was an apology to the French people and his family.
This was a very astute politician who wanted to present himself as a victim.
In all it was a polished performance from a politician who has had plenty of time to consider the questions he might be asked.
The reaction in the coming days from his party and the public will tell us whether there is sympathy with that position and whether ultimately his rehabilitation is possible.
"I think it was a moral failing and I am not proud of it," he told Ms Chazal.
He said the incident had caused him to miss his "appointment with the French people", referring to his desire to be a Socialist candidate in France's 2012 presidential elections.
Before his arrest, he had been expected to be a strong contender to challenge President Nicolas Sarkozy.
He said he could "obviously" no longer be a candidate and would play no part in the forthcoming Socialist primaries.
He would now "take time to reflect" on his future, he added.
He said the sexual encounter "did not involve violence, constraint or aggression" and that Ms Diallo had lied, but he had no intention of negotiating with her in her civil case.
But he reserved his harshest words for the US criminal justice system.
"I was afraid, very afraid," he said, "and I was humiliated, trampled before I could even utter a word."
In addition to the New York case, Mr Strauss-Kahn faces an allegation by French author Tristane Banon that he tried to rape her in 2003.
But the former IMF chief said that Ms Banon's accusations were imaginary, adding that there was "no violence". He is suing for defamation.
He was interviewed by French police last week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14963176
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chronology of the Press in Burma

1836 – 1846 * During this period the first English-language newspaper was launched under British-ruled Tenasserim, southern  Burma . The first ethnic Karen-language and Burmese-language newspapers also appear in this period.     March 3, 1836 —The first English-language newspaper,  The Maulmain Chronicle , appears in the city of Moulmein in British-ruled Tenasserim. The paper, first published by a British official named E.A. Blundell, continued up until the 1950s. September 1842 —Tavoy’s  Hsa-tu-gaw  (the  Morning Star ), a monthly publication in the Karen-language of  Sgaw ,  is established by the Baptist mission. It is the first ethnic language newspaper. Circulation reached about three hundred until its publication ceased in 1849. January 1843 —The Baptist mission publishes a monthly newspaper, the Christian  Dhamma  Thadinsa  (the  Religious Herald ), in Moulmein. Supposedly the first Burmese-language newspaper, it continued up until the first year of the second Angl
Post a Comment
Read more

ARSA claims ambush on Myanmar security forces

Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Sunday claimed responsibility for an ambush on Myanmar security forces that left several wounded in northern Rakhine state, the first attack in weeks in a region gutted by violence. Rakhine was plunged into turmoil last August, when a series of ARSA raids prompted a military backlash so brutal the UN says it likely amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingya minority. The army campaign sent some 650,000 Rohingya fleeing for Bangladesh, where refugees have given harrowing accounts of rape, murder and arson at the hands of security forces and vigilantes. Myanmar's military, which tightly controls information about Rakhine, denies any abuses and insists the crackdown was a proportionate response to crush the "terrorist" threat. ARSA have launched few attacks in recent months.  But the army reported that "about ten" Rohingya terrorists ambushed a car with hand-made mines and gunfire on Friday morning
Post a Comment
Read more

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do
1 comment
Read more