A New York judge has ordered the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, to be remanded in custody after prosecutors expressed fears that he might flee to France to escape charges of sexually assaulting a hotel maid.The judge, Melissa Jackson, refused a request for bail, agreeing that Strauss-Kahn, who was pulled off a Paris-bound plane on Saturday and charged with a criminal sexual act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment, represented a flight risk.
His defence lawyers said Strauss-Kahn denied the charges, and one of them, Ben Brafman, said it was "quite likely he will be exonerated". Earlier they said Strauss-Kahn had agreed to undergo scientific and forensic tests and intends to "vigorously" defend himself.
The prosecution on Monday compared Strauss-Kahn to Roman Polanski, the film director who fled the US in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with an underage girl. Prosecutors said they were investigating an additional incident, without specifying what it related to, and that they were waiting for the forensic information from the hotel.
Doubtless this case will play out in the media between now and when it goes to trial. The prosecution claims to have forensic evidence including DNA linking Strauss-Kahn to the woman he is alleged to have molested, whilst the defence is already claiming an alibi.
And not surprisingly, allegations are already emerging of past "indiscretions" by Strauss-Kahn. In a seperate story, The Guardian reports:
A local official of the Socialist party claimed that Strauss-Kahn had attacked her daughter, who is goddaughter to Strauss-Kahn's second wife, in 2002.
Tristane Banon was in her 20s and writing a book when she approached Strauss-Kahn for an interview in 2002. In a TV programme in 2007, in which Strauss-Kahn's name had been bleeped out, Banon allegedly described him as a "rutting chimpanzee" and described how she was forced to fight him off. "It finished badly … very violently … I kicked him," Banon said. "When we were fighting, I mentioned the word 'rape' to make him afraid, but it didn't have any effect. I managed to get out."
Banon consulted a lawyer, but did not press charges. "I didn't want to be known to the end of my days as the girl who had a problem with the politician."
Whatever the outcome of the criminal proceedings, it seems certain that Strauss-Kahn's political career is over. The speed with which the police and prosecutors have acted against him is also noteworthy when compared with recent events in this part of the world.
6 comments:
I do hope that Don Brash is taking careful note of this incident.....
I read that the delay in the Hipkins case is being questioned in the herald.
Its now 11 weeks since the story broke - and still nothing. I can believe that labour are doing whatever they can to sweep this under the table until after the election.
But Im sure he will be cleared - Goff inferred so.
Hughes, Hughes, Hughes.
Hipkins is the 12 year old that Trevor has flinging muck.
Darren Hughes is the one who had to quit.
On the other hand don't you admire the speed of the New York police with their arrest of the IMF head?
Sorry Annon you can see how I made the mistake they are both Ugly, smarmy, Ginger little shits.
Why wasn't the defendants name and all details of the charges against him suppressed. He should then have been bailed with special conditions that he not associate with vulnerable females for an unspecified period until his case is heard around 2013.
"oh that's right the USA is a democracy with an open justice system.."
Anon @ 1202
Very interesting slip of the fingers (given the rumours circulating over the last week) or was it a slip????
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