A highly publicized case involving accusations of sex crimes against the former head of International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, may come to a close very soon. The alleged incident was said to have occurred in May when a hotel maid accused Strauss-Kahn of sex assault. The accusations led to a whirlwind investigation as well as Strauss-Kahn stepping down from his role at IMF.
But it appears that Strauss-Kahn may soon be free of the charges against him here in the United States. According to a number of sources, charges will likely be dropped because his accuser may not be a reliable witness.
The allegations that the maid initially brought against him were inconsistent with the story she later told a rape counselor. Statements made by the maid's attorney were also inconsistent with her initial story. The stories differed on accounts of the attack itself as well as what happened after the alleged assault. These inconsistencies poke holes in the maid's credibility as a witness.
Strauss-Kahn had been under house arrest but was recently released after prosecutors decided that the charges could be dropped. And though he had been denying the accusations from the beginning, the allegations that were made could damage his future career as a politician.
Though the charges will not be officially dropped until later this month, this is an example of how great of an impact accusations can have on a person's life. The damage has already been done, with Strauss-Kahn already stepping down from his IMF position. But now both his personal and professional life will always include the time in his life when many thought he sexually assaulted a woman.
Whenever accusations are made against someone, the consequences can be far reaching, even if the charges are eventually dropped or the person is found not guilty of the crime.
Source: AFP online, "US charges against ex-IMF chief to be dropped: report," 05 July 2011