Hotel Maid Speaks to Media About Alleged Attack by Dominique Strauss-Kahn
The identity of the hotel maid who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexually assaulting her is now being publicized in the United States: She’s 32-year-old Nafissatou Diallo, and she’s telling her story in two media interviews.
Newsweek published its story online on Sunday, while ABC is airing its interview on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.
In the Newsweek interview, Diallo says she entered Strauss-Kahn’s suite after a room service attendant told her it was ready for cleaning. Strauss-Kahn then appeared naked, she said, grabbed her and slammed the door to the room. She tried pushing him away, but she didn’t want to hurt him because she feared losing her job. He forced her to perform oral sex, she alleges, gripping her crotch so hard that it turned red.
Newsweek says hospital records confirm Diallo’s crotch was red and she complained of shoulder pain. Diallo says doctors later found a partial ligament tear in her shoulder.
Newsweek notes Diallo appeared very angry during the interview and she cried several times, but occasionally the tears seemed forced. She was happiest when she talked about her job, which paid $25 an hour plus tips.
Diallo’s credibility, however, has suffered since Strauss-Kahn’s arrest. Newsweek notes inconsistencies in Diallo’s reports to police and to doctors over whether Strauss-Kahn talked during the incident.
Other media reports have also raised questions about Diallo. The New York Post alleged that Diallo was a part-time prostitute, a charge she denies in a lilbel suit. A New York Times report said a friend, an alleged drug dealer, deposited $100,000 into Diallo’s bank account; Diallo says the man is no longer a friend and he used the account without telling her. The Times also told of a taped conversation between Diallo and the imprisoned friend in which she says, “Don’t worry, this guy has a lot of money. I know what I’m doing.” But the quote was a paraphrase of a translator’s report, and prosecutors didn’t have a full transcript at the time.
Prosecutors have also discovered Diallo understated her income to pay cheaper rent, lied on her asylum application, and claimed two children instead of one for tax deductions, Newsweek says.
Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers issued a statement calling Diallo “the first accuser in history to conduct a media campaign to persuade a prosecutor to pursue charges against a person from whom she wants money.”
