HOME > World

Strauss-Kahn is saved by the statute of limitations expiring on his crime.

The Paris prosecutor's office confirms that the French journalist was sexually assaulted by the former head of the IMF, but according to the Constitution, the events are too old to be prosecuted.

Roberta Namour – 247 correspondent in Paris – It almost seems like a bad joke. The Paris Prosecutor's Office confirmed the attempted rape of French journalist Tristane Banon by the former IMF Managing Director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, during an interview in 2003. Even so, the case was dismissed and DSK released. The reason? According to the Constitution, the statute of limitations expires after three years. And since the action was only filed in July 2011, after the sexual assault case against chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo in New York, the accusation cannot proceed.

According to a judicial source, Dominique Strauss-Kahn signed his confession of guilt when he admitted to investigators that he tried to kiss Tristane Banon in an apartment. "He doesn't consider that he sexually assaulted her, but that's his version. For the magistrate, this could legitimize the attempted rape charge," the source said. The young French woman had her honor preserved, but once again, DSK escaped criminal conviction.

The prosecution's lawyer, David Koubbi, assured that he will initiate a civil lawsuit against Strauss-Kahn. "The Prosecution's decision, although unsatisfactory, constitutes a first victory for Ms. Banon, who managed to prove that her accusation was not a figment of her imagination, as many have said," he added.

For his part, the lawyer for the former head of the IMF celebrated his client's victory. "When someone is the target of a lawsuit that is subsequently dismissed, it means they are innocent," Frédérique Beaulieu told BFMTV.