Uh Oh: Prosecutors No Longer Believe Housekeeper Accusing Dominique Strauss Kahn of Rape

He did say this was a set-up. His French friends, like Bernard Henri-Levy, cautioned it might be a set-up.

It appears it could conceivably be a set-up, or some scheme to get an asylum visa, or just consensual sex gone wrong.

It could also still be rape. She may be lying about unrelated matters (the NYT says the prosecutors say she is), but she could still be telling the truth about this matter.

But the prosecutors are liking looking to drop the case. In fact, the article says they're considering dismissing charges.

The sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn is on the verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the housekeeper who charged that he attacked her in his Manhattan hotel suite in May, according to two well-placed law enforcement officials.

Although forensic tests found unambiguous evidence of a sexual encounter between Mr. Strauss-Kahn, a French politician, and the woman, prosecutors now do not believe much of what the accuser has told them about the circumstances or about herself.

Since her initial allegation on May 14, the accuser has repeatedly lied, one of the law enforcement officials said.

Senior prosecutors met with lawyers for Mr. Strauss-Kahn on Thursday and provided details about their findings, and the parties are discussing whether to dismiss the felony charges. Among the discoveries, one of the officials said, are issues involving the asylum application of the 32-year-old housekeeper, who is Guinean, and possible links to people involved in criminal activities, including drug dealing and money laundering.

These are the things people typically lie about. But if you're pressing a charge that relies fundamentally on your word, you lie about other matters at your peril.

Thanks to Truman North, in the sidebar.

Edited/Expanded: Commenters note that I bit on DSK's narrative far too hard, and they're right. I have rewritten to note various possibilities.

Long story short, though: Whether she was raped or not, if the prosecutors feel her credibility is in question regarding other matters, they will probably not take this to trial. Given that the charge rests upon her word that the thing was rape and not some other kind of sexual encounter.

posted by Ace at 11:54 AM

| Access Comments