Strauss-Kahn Freed from House Arrest After Maid’s Credibility Questioned
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been freed from house arrest after prosecutors uncovered information raising credibility questions about the maid who accused him of sexual assault.
The New York Times calls the development “a stunning reversal in a case that reshaped the French political landscape and sparked debate about morals, the treatment of women and the American justice system.” Strauss-Kahn was the former chief of the International Monetary Fund.
Prosecutors have not yet dismissed the charges against Strauss-Kahn, however, and authorities have retained his passport.
The Times broke the story about prosecutor doubts, reporting that the maid who accused Strauss-Kahn told her imprisoned boyfriend in a recorded phone conversation about the benefits of pursuing charges. The call, made within a day of Strauss-Kahn’s arrest, was made to a man accused of possessing 400 pounds of marijuana. He and others have deposited cash totaling $100,000 into the woman’s bank account over the last two years, the Times says.
Questions were also raised about differences between the woman’s statements to police and her asylum application.
