Sexual Assault Charges Against Strauss-Kahn Dropped

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　　After the dismissal Tuesday, an appeals court rejected his accuser's request for a special prosecutor² to continue the criminal case.  Protesters gathered outside the courthouse Tuesday, criticizing the move to drop the charges.

　　The 62-year-old Strauss-Kahn later said the past months have been "a nightmare" for him and his family.   In a written statement, he thanked supporters and said he is grateful that the Manhattan district attorney agreed to dismiss the case.

　　Strauss-Kahn was arrested in May, after a maid alleged⁴ he sexually assaulted her when she went to clean his room at a luxury hotel in Manhattan.  Guinean-born Nafissatou Diallo accused the former IMF managing director of attacking her at the hotel on May 14.  Strauss-Kahn's lawyers denied the allegation and suggested that any sexual encounter was consensual.

　　Prosecutors filed their request to have the case dismissed, saying the evidence did not prove that Strauss-Kahn engaged in a forced sexual encounter.  They expressed concern about the maid's reliability⁵, saying she has not been truthful⁶ on "great and small" matters, and that they could not ask a jury to believe her when they no longer believed her themselves.

　　Diallo's case faltered⁷ in late June when prosecutors revealed inconsistencies in her account of what happened.  They also disclosed that she had fabricated a story about being raped⁹ in her native Guinea for her U.S. asylum¹⁰ application.

　　Efforts to clarify what happened between Strauss-Kahn and Diallo will likely continue in civil court, where she has sued him.  He also faces an investigation¹¹ in France of another attempted rape⁸ accusation¹².

　　Before the incident, Strauss-Kahn was a leading contender to challenge French President Nicolas Sarkozy in an election next year.  Strauss-Kahn resigned his IMF post after being arrested on the rape allegations, which significantly eroded¹³ his support among French voters.

　　He has been free on bail¹⁴ since a brief period of detention¹⁵ after his arrest.

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