Dominique Strauss-Kahn Sex-Crime Case: Ex-Prosecutor Explains Charges

Time:

The case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has shocked both sides of the Atlantic and much of the world. The official charges filed against him in a New York City court include: two counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree; one count of attempted rape; and one count each of sexual abuse in the first degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, sexual abuse in the third degree and forcible touching. In an interview with TIME's Ruth Davis Konigsberg, Linda Fairstein, the former chief of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit of the New York County District Attorney's Office (and author of Silent Mercy) explains what that all means and what's next for Strauss-Kahn, who has been denied bail and is now in jail on Rikers Island awaiting a grand-jury hearing.

Read the whole story: Time

Comments

[Mondayboy]

11:40 PM on 05/17/2011

DSK is the victim of a lot of isms. J-ism, r-ism, el-ism, soc-ism etc. I will hold my judgement until all the facts of this case are known. He has too many powerful enemies - within his own country and abroad.

[americancolonyinhell]

08:28 PM on 05/17/2011

If this were an old-timey cartoon instead of real life, I'd expect to see his ghostly double kicking his can around his Rikers' Island jail cell. I mean, how many times since his arrest has this guy probably said to himself in French, "How could you be so stupid?!"

[FeralForever]

08:22 PM on 05/17/2011

Women, I think this story is a learning point here. Never hurt a fly unless it's open.

[armed patriot]

06:22 PM on 05/17/2011

Da daa.....the poster boy for the world wide progressive movement.

[Milash]

05:58 PM on 05/17/2011

If she is telling the truth then this dude is majorly twisted.

[Rjchinook]

06:35 PM on 05/23/2011

Why would lie? Ask yourself that?

[Milash]

06:52 PM on 05/23/2011

Money? I'm not saying she did lie, I'm just saying that sometimes cash will make people do crazy things.

[CoronaDischarge]

05:52 PM on 05/17/2011

Excellent explanation of the charges.

Using a  consent defense, as suggested here, at best, even if persuasive, means he might skate on the charges in the US, but his career will still be over. Only a total setup, and charges against the woman who has brought the charges, could ever hope to save his reputation and it sounds like that isn't happening.

[wwoody]

04:50 PM on 05/17/2011

The prosecutor grasping at straws here trying to build case. I'm wondering how can a person can force another person to have oral sex without biting them?...was there any semen found on uniform especially the sleeve or else where ?. DSK didn't rape her, this was consensual sex, and the Defense will prove it.

[Spacecowboy64]

05:10 PM on 05/17/2011

You sound like you were there. Have you come forward to the authorities on this?

[wwoody]

06:54 PM on 05/17/2011

No, I wasn't nowhere near there.....Okay...you got me....I confess.

[hg wells]

05:27 PM on 05/17/2011

oh? I thought he was having lunch with his daughter at the time.

[wwoody]

06:49 PM on 05/17/2011

Having lunch with his daughter, is only sound defense if there are witness, or credit card receipt with the time and place. If he had lunch at his daughter apartment, then she better had the Pope as her luncheon guest at her apartment, other then that, his alibi won't stand-up .

[Quotidien]

04:48 PM on 05/17/2011

Even if this was a set up, it was still up to DSK to take the bait.

He was the front runner for President of France for crying out loud. You got to watch your back at all times, dude.

He even discussed being set up for rape charges by Sarkozy in previous interviews in France.

If this was a set up, it's not like this woman tied him down and took his DNA from him. He had to at least think for a moment that she was "down", and acted upon it. Very stupid of this powerful man to fall for a random hotel encounter with the cleaning lady.

French people are shocked and saddened, but they should be grateful that this happened now as opposed to after this man won the election.

[ABACADABRA RABBIT]

04:09 PM on 05/17/2011

Hope he speaks English.

When he goes to prison, I hope he meets the same fate in the showers. They will pin that frail man down and go to town on him.

[NCBlu]

04:04 PM on 05/17/2011

He reminds me of Madoff..

[marinatha]

03:59 PM on 05/17/2011

Ive seen this man on tv and wondered where his weakness may be.Now I know.Seems like someone else knew.If they have dna he is sunk.Is this the beginning of the eating frenzy?

[jws2346]

03:58 PM on 05/17/2011

Yup, I guess it is possible that this whole scenario is just a setup and the "Seducer" is just as innocent as a new born baby? It's also possible I'll win the lottery tomorrow. Not impossible, but highly unlikely, kinda' like the "Great Seducer" bein' choir boi material? (not to be confused with Joseph Wambaugh's choir boys)

[WorldEdition]

03:56 PM on 05/17/2011

The defense is "consent".

Say goodbye to DSK.

That means he knows his DNA was found ON the victim.
That means he will have to show that this woman at the hotel consented to.sex after she
accidentally entered a room when the old man was in the bathroom.

I consent defense is also great for his relations with him family, which will soon break down.
The consent defense also does damange to the conspiracy theories.

[jws2346]

03:48 PM on 05/17/2011

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure old "Seducer" might have got caught.

[oople]

03:40 PM on 05/17/2011

noone said he was decent and honerable, but he was known as a hornball and could have been taken down...see if there's a money trail...someone should check out Lewenski's finances