IMF head under constant watch while behind bars
Updated at 10:18 a.m. ET
NEW YORK - The maid came from one of the world's poorest countries to the U.S., working to support the teen daughter she raised alone. To her, the penthouse suite at the Sofitel Hotel was just another empty room to clean.
She says she had no idea there was a man inside or that he was a famous French politician. She says he was naked, chased her down and tried to rape her.
The man, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, remained jailed under a suicide watch Wednesday as a lawyer for the woman sought to rebut whispered allegations that her charges were a conspiracy and a setup.
Calls intensified for the 62-year-old Strauss-Kahn to step down as head of the powerful International Monetary Fund, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner saying Strauss-Kahn "is obviously not in a position to run" the agency.
Maid's lawyer: IMF sex assault case no setup
Geithner: Strauss-Kahn not in position to run IMF
Jailed IMF chief's wife thrust into spotlight
Strauss-Kahn was one of France's most high-profile politicians and a potential candidate for president in next year's elections. His arrest on charges including attempted rape shocked France and cast intense attention on his accuser, a 32-year-old chambermaid from the West African nation of Guinea.
On Tuesday her lawyer, Jeffrey Shapiro, said he had no doubts his client was telling the truth about her encounter with Strauss-Kahn on Saturday.
In an interview with Chris Wragge, co-anchor of CBS' "Early Show," that was broadcast Wednesday, Shapiro said his client would testify against Strauss-Kahn if prosecutors called her at trial.
Video: Victim's lawyer on IMF chief case
Video: IMF chief on suicide watch in N.Y. jail
"She's the victim of a sex crime," said Shapiro. "She can't take the public stage and talk about this nor would she want to do that. Essentially she has to sit and remain where she is, cooperating with the authorities until such time as she has an opportunity to step forth in court, on the record before a jury, and tell her story."
Strauss-Kahn's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said at his client's arraignment this week that defense lawyers believe the forensic evidence "will not be consistent with a forcible encounter."
But Shapiro dismissed suggestions that the woman had made up the charges or tried to cover up a consensual encounter.
"This is nothing other than a physical, sexual assault by this man on this young woman," Shapiro said in an interview in his Manhattan office. He said that the woman didn't know who was staying in the 28th-floor suite she went to clean on Saturday afternoon, before she said she was attacked.
"She did not know who this man was until a day or two after this took place," Shapiro said. "She had no idea who this man was."
Strauss-Kahn is also charged with sex abuse, a criminal sex act, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. The most serious charge carries five to 25 years in prison.
Because of his high profile, he was being held Tuesday at Rikers Island in a section of the jail that normally houses prisoners with highly contagious diseases like measles or tuberculosis. Corrections spokesman Stephen Morello said Strauss-Kahn has been placed in a wing with about 14 cells, all of them empty except for his.
Norman Seabrook, president of the correction officers union, said Strauss-Kahn did or said something during a mental health evaluation that concerned doctors, and he is being monitored day and night.
A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of prisoner medical information, said Strauss-Kahn had not tried to harm himself.
Strauss-Kahn's cell has a toilet and a sink. He takes his meals there, with breakfast at 5 a.m., lunch at 11 a.m. and dinner at 4 or 5 p.m.
Morello said Strauss-Kahn can occasionally leave his cell and wander the wing, and can go outside for an hour each day. Because he is awaiting trial, Strauss-Kahn isn't required to wear a prison uniform. He may bring his own clothing and wear what he chooses, except for his shoes.
Meanwhile in Europe, Strauss-Kahn's past conduct with other women was getting new scrutiny.
The IMF investigated him following a 2008 affair with an employee, the Hungarian-born economist Piroska Nagy. The institution eventually cleared him of wrongdoing, but a person close to Nagy said Tuesday that she had sent the organization a letter at the time warning about his behavior toward women.
The letter voiced "doubts about Dominique Strauss-Kahn's suitability for running an international institution," according to the person, who declined to be identified, citing the sensitivity of the matter.
The New York Times published an excerpt of the letter, along with an account that said Strauss-Kahn had aggressively pursued Nagy, sent her sexually explicit messages and once had her summoned from the bathroom to speak to him.
The scandal comes at a delicate time for the IMF, which is trying to shore up teetering economies in Europe. The IMF is an immensely powerful agency that loans money to countries to stabilize the world economy. In exchange it often imposes strict austerity measures.
Strauss-Kahn seemed to anticipate that his problems with women could be a political liability ahead of France's presidential elections.
The French daily newspaper Liberation reported this week that at a meeting with Strauss-Kahn in April, he speculated that his presidential campaign might be subjected to low blows over "money, women and my Jewishness."
Strauss-Kahn also theorized that his enemies might try to pay someone to accuse him of rape, according to the newspaper.
The Associated Press does not name victims of alleged sex crimes unless they agree to it. But in the days since the alleged attack in Manhattan, details are beginning to emerge about Strauss-Kahn's accuser.
- no previous page
- next
1/2
Popular on CBSNews.com
- Tsarnaev friend implicates dead brother, self in murders 151 Comments
- Victims of deadly Oklahoma tornado 6 Photos
- Up-close video of Moore, Okla., tornado Play Video
- Oklahoma tornado as seen by storm chasers Play Video
- AG Holder: Drones killed 4 Americans since 2009
- Tornado's destructive path 17 Photos
- Tornado victims start picking up the pieces
- Deadliest U.S. tornadoes 10 Photos
The crass sensationalistic treatment given by the press to suspects in our country is enough in and of itself to destroy a persons career whether or not the person is guilty of anything.
We need to let law enforcement and the justice system do their jobs before rushing to judgement on this accusation.
.
Of course, the whole reason for gaining high office is to pursue
wine, women, and song.
But your political enemies will take advantage of you.
What does my accusation say about random_radar? Maybe nothing, maybe it says something about me. Maybe I had a reason for making my accusation - in this case, just being argumentative - rather than having any factual basis for my claim.
I, for one, believe it is likely the maid is telling the truth. However, it is certainly in the realm of possibility that she has not told the truth.
They are mistreating the accused, hoping to force a confession from him. The trouble is, when you mistreat someone to get a confession - you get confessions from innocent people.
Can you imagine if they put the maid in jail for a week, and mistreated her, to figure out if she would reverse her accusation? Why should would reverse her accusation immediately - that wouldn't mean she had lied...not at all, its just shows the impact of cruelty has on what people say.
Innocent until proven guilty. Let the guy out, while he waits for trial. Go to court, and prove your case - it is truly ashame, that these matters are complex.
Well they aren't always - in the case of forcible rape, at least you'd have forensic evidence - sperm, etc.
The man was in his hotel room taking a shower - it's not a crime that he was naked. She entered the room improperly - no fault of her own, but she went into the room thinking it was empty, she was wrong it was not.
This is a case, that, at least so far, is going to entirely rely on the willingness of a jury to convict without evidence, save the conflicting stories of the two people involved. Juries sometimes convict on an accusation alone - and sometimes that keeps a guilty person from going free, and sometimes it means an innocent person goes to jail. Sometimes a jury won't convict without evidence - and sometimes a guilty person goes free, sometimes it means an innocent person is exonerated.
Unfortunately life just isn't so simple that any accurate result is guaranteed...and at least so far, the media hasn't given us any evidence to know what happened.
Also innocent people accused of crimes - more so than guilty people- suffer tremendous trama.
For example - read up on the school teacher who was in the news recently after a 12 year old girl falsely accused him of rape, the girl was angry because she got in trouble for bullying other students, and decided to take her bullying campaign against the teacher.
He had to undergo intensive counseling. The reality is, when you are falsely accused, you find out something real quick - you are in jail, while the criminal (the one making false accusations) is still free. That person never gets charged with any crime, while you are put through hell.
This guy is no flight risk of any kind, but he is being held in jail - why - because this may be the only punishment he gets, that's why. So we are punishing him now, while we still can.
Don't take my statement to mean that I think the maid is lying. I'm just saying your logic is bizarre. Guilty people say they are innocent, but so do innocent people. Guilty people get depress, but so do innocent people. Guilty people go to jail - but so do innocent people.
Lots of innocent men have gone to jail - look up the innocence project for more details.
Why this happens should be obvious - there is NO WAY to prove what happened that day.
They are taking 'forensic' evidence, but the reality is - the accusation here is that he fumbled at her underwear, but she got away - so there is no evidence of rape, there wouldn't be, now would there?
She says he forced her to do oral sex - there is no way to prove it was force, or otherwise.
Not really, the government can put on expert witnesses that will say whatever they are paid to say, the defense will put on expert witnesses what will say what they are paid to say.
An innocent man could go to jail. A guilty man could go free.
Thinking you can guess the answer - you aren't alone, a jury will guess the answer. They may be right, they may be wrong. This case will never be known for sure, because it can't be.