A New York judge dismissed the sexual assault case against the former head of the International Monetary Fund. The charges, reports the AP, were officially dismissed after a New York appeals court denied the accuser's request for a special prosecutor.
Yesterday, prosecutors asked the judge to drop the charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, because of issues with the credibility of his accuser.
The AP adds:
A 33-year-old West African maid claimed that the former head of the International Monetary fund attacked her and sexually assaulted her in his luxury suite on May 14.
Prosecutors argued that DNA evidence showed sexual contact but not necessarily a forced encounter. They also see medical findings as inconclusive.
Earlier today, the same judge denied the Nafissatou Diallo's petition to remove the district attorney from the case and assign a special prosecutor.
Update at 12:16 p.m. ET. Vindication And Precipitous Fall:
Here's The New York Times' first passat what the judge's decision means for two parties in the case:
The dismissal brought some semblance of vindication to Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, after his stunning arrest more than three months ago. He was taken into custody while aboard an Air France jet at Kennedy International Airport and then paraded before news cameras, looking disheveled and in handcuffs.
For his accuser, Nafissatou Diallo, a 33-year-old Guinean immigrant, the result caps a precipitous fall. Prosecutors initially portrayed her as a credible and powerful witness, only to say that her myriad lies about her past — which included a convincing, emotional but ultimately fraudulent account of being gang raped by soldiers in Guinea — ended up undermining the case.
Diallo still has civil case pending against Strauss-Kahn.
Update at 12:21 p.m. ET. Statement From Strauss-Kahn:
Strauss-Kahn just issued a statement calling the ordeal a "nightmare."
"We will have nothing further to say about this matter and we look forward to returning to our home and resuming something of a more normal life," Strauss-Kahn said in the statement.
Update at 1:39 p.m. ET. Judge Denies Appeal:
A New York appeals court judge agreed with a lower court and denied the accuser a special prosecutor in the case. That means the charges against Strauss-Kahn have now been officially dropped.
The AP adds:
Attorneys for the woman accusing the former leader of the International Monetary Fund had requested one because they felt Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance was biased.
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