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| Judge Denies Bail to I.M.F. Chief |
| By nytimes.com |
| Published: 05/17/2011 |
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Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, was ordered on Monday to be held without bail over allegations that he had sexually assaulted a housekeeper in a lavish suite at a Midtown hotel. The decision to deny bail was a surprising and striking defeat for Mr. Strauss-Kahn, whom many saw as a leading contender to become France’s next president. He was taken to Rikers Island, where he will be held in protective custody in a single-person cell. Prosecutors had asked the Criminal Court judge, Melissa C. Jackson, to remand Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, to custody, contending that he was a flight risk. They also indicated that he may have been previously involved in a similar episode. “Some of this information includes reports he has in fact engaged in conduct similar to the conduct alleged in this complaint on at least one other occasion,” said Artie McConnell, an assistant district attorney, adding that the other occasion, which occurred outside the United States, was still being investigated. In opposing bail, prosecutors highlighted the serious nature of the allegations. “The defendant restrained a hotel employee inside of the room,” Mr. McConnell said. “He sexually assaulted her and attempted to forcibly rape her,” and when that failed, Mr. McConnell said, he forced her to perform oral sex. Mr. McConnell also said that he saw a video of Mr. Strauss-Kahn leaving the Sofitel New York, on West 44th Street, after the time alleged for the attack. “It appears to be a man who was in a hurry,” Mr. McConnell said. As he entered the courtroom, Mr. Strauss-Kahn looked just as he had the day before — in a dark full-length coat, hands cuffed behind his back and a stern gaze on his face. He did not enter a plea during the proceeding, nor did he speak aloud. The criminal complaint says that Mr. Strauss-Kahn shut the door and prevented the woman from leaving, grabbing her breasts, trying to pull down her pantyhose and grabbing her crotch. “The victim provided very powerful details consistent with violent sexual assault committed by the defendant,” Mr. McConnell said, adding that she told hotel staff members and law enforcement authorities what had happened shortly after the attack. The woman was examined after the episode, and law enforcement officials were processing evidence from the hotel room, Mr. McConnell said. Preliminary indications, Mr. McConnell said, was that forensic evidence supported “the victim’s version of events.” Benjamin Brafman, one of Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers, argued that “this is a very, very defensible case. He should be entitled to bail.” He suggested that it be set at $1 million, and said that Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s wife, Anne Sinclair, who was flying in from Paris on Monday afternoon, would provide the money. The defense team already has found significant issues with the case, Mr. Brafman said, though he did not elaborate. Nor did he suggest — as some in the French news media have — that Mr. Strauss-Kahn was a victim of a setup. Mr. Brafman added that although his client was arrested on an Air France plane that was about to take off from Kennedy International Airport on Saturday, he was not trying to flee. Mr. Brafman said that Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s travel plans had been set for some time, and he indicated that there was evidence that between the time of the alleged attack and his flight, Mr. Strauss-Kahn was in the area of the hotel, taking care of other business. Read More. |
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