Dominique Strauss-Kahn

He has admitted to taking part in the sex parties, but denied knowing the escorts were paid

The sexual travails of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, French economist, politician and ex-International Monetary Fund managing director, seems neverending. In 2011, he was accused of sexual assault by a maid at a New York hotel, and while charges were dropped later on, he now finds himself party to an organised prostitution racket.

Strauss-Kahn’s name came up as the French police were investigating a pimping operation that saw sex workers from brothels over the Belgian border being ferried to France for orgies held at high-class hotels.

Sex scandals have always been Kahn’s Achilles heel. In 2008, the IMF Board had to appoint an investigator to look into allegations that Strauss-Kahn had had an affair with a subordinate, Piroska Nagy. Nagy had alleged that Strauss-Kahn had used his position to coerce her into the affair. She was later sacked. The IMF board issued a statement saying that the affair was ‘regrettable and reflected a serious error of judgment on the part of the managing director’, but cleared him of harassment, favouritism or abuse of power. This led to his being dubbed the ‘le grand séducteur’ (the Great Seducer) by Le Journal du Dimanche.

He also faced a third case, an accusation by 32-year-old author Tristane Banon of attempted rape, in 2002. It was later dropped on lack of evidence. Strauss-Kahn seems to have a penchant for flamboyance. He has a house in Washington DC, two apartments in Paris and a traditional house in Morocco. 

In this latest scandal, Strauss-Kahn has admitted that he took part in some of these sex parties, but denied knowing that escorts were paid. Though paying for sexual services is not illegal in France, prosecutors are checking if Strauss-Kahn was aware these parties were arranged by an organised pimping ring. But he has told the police he did not suspect the women of prostitution because he was introduced to them by senior police officers. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

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