Ex-IMF chief Dominique
Strauss-Kahn has told his trial for pimping in France that he is annoyed
with persistent questions about his sexual practices.
As he gave evidence for a second day, questions continued to focus on sex parties he attended in Paris, Brussels and Washington.
He told the court in Lille he was not on trial for "deviant acts".
Two former prostitutes who took part in the sex parties have been giving evidence at the trial, both alleging that Mr Strauss-Kahn had been rough in his behaviour.
Although using prostitutes is not illegal in France, supplying them or assisting in supplying them is, and the former head of the International Monetary Fund insists he was unaware that women involved in the parties were prostitutes.
Mr Strauss-Kahn said it was "absurd" to suggest that his preference for "rougher" sexual acts would spur him to seek out prostitutes.
If found guilty, the one-time potential candidate for the French presidency could face up to 10 years in jail and a €1.5m (£1.13m) fine.
'Carnage'
One of the former prostitutes, Jade, had earlier in the day told the court that Mr Strauss- Kahn had engaged in sodomy without her permission.
He said later that he had not been aware of her objection and apologised but reminded the court that he had not been put on trial for "deviant sexual acts".
"I'm beginning to get a little fed up," Mr Strauss-Kahn told the court, his voiced raised, when a lawyer acting for the prostitutes cross-examined him about the incident.
He then remarked that it seemed odd that several people had used the word "carnage" in the trial in relation to the sex parties.
"What surprises me is that this term 'carnage' is cropping up several times. When the same term comes up two, three or four times, that cannot be by chance. Doesn't it seem odd that everybody's using it?"
On Tuesday, another woman named Mounia told the court that Mr Strauss-Kahn had engaged her in a sexual act "against nature" despite her tears.
Both women accept that they did not tell Mr Strauss-Kahn that they were prostitutes, but argue that he would have known.
Also on trial for "aggravated pimping" are 13 other defendants, including luxury hotel managers, a lawyer, a former police commissioner and a brothel owner nicknamed "Dodo the Pimp".
It is the latest sex-related allegation to trouble Mr Strauss-Kahn, who stepped down from the IMF after being accused of attempted rape by a hotel maid in New York in 2011.
The case ended his political career, although the charges were eventually dropped and he reached a settlement with the maid, Nafissatou Diallo.
No comments:
Post a Comment