Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, has told a court how he rented a luxury flat in Paris under an acquaintance’s name because he was married and wanted somewhere discreet to meet women for group sex.
Strauss-Kahn is on trial for alleged “aggravated pimping” – aiding and abetting the prostitution of seven women – and could be jailed for up to 10 years if convicted. While leading the IMF in Washington, he allegedly had group sex with prostitutes specifically brought to him in Europe and the US, organised by French businessmen friends at his instigation.
He strongly denies knowing the women were prostitutes and maintains he thought they were just “swingers”, like himself. He denies all pimping charges.
The judges in Lille focused on the apartment in a smart area of Paris because if Strauss-Kahn had made a private flat available for prostitution, this would fall under the crime of aiding and abetting prostitution.
Strauss-Kahn said private “swingers’ evenings” took place at the flat and that he was always present and participating, but insisted he was not the organiser of those evenings. He has denied knowing, or suspecting, that there were any prostitutes or paid women at those events. People who were at the events told the court they had not sensed the presence of any prostitutes. Asked by a judge why the flat was rented under an opaque setup, Strauss-Kahn said: “I was a politician, I was married. I needed a discreet place to meet politicians, and to meet young women I wanted to meet.”
The judge questioned Strauss-Kahn over a large number of text messages exchanged between 2009 and 2011 with his businessman friend, Fabrice Paszkowski, who is accused of recruiting paid women for group sex with him. In one message in 2009, Strauss-Kahn asked Paszkowksi if he wanted to accompany him to a “magnificent” swingers club in Madrid and bring “material” – meaning women.
Strauss-Kahn had told the investigation that the term “material” was unfortunate and ill-chosen, but that in other text messages he had referred to women by name and that there was no mention of prostitutes. Paszkowski denies the charges and has told the court Strauss-Kahn did not know any women he introduced him to were paid.
Earlier this week, the court heard two women break down in tears describing how they were subjected to a sex act by Strauss-Kahn that they had not wanted or agreed to. One said the ex-IMF chief had known of her distress but had smiled and gone ahead “with force”.
Strauss-Kahn told the court he had not been aware of the women’s “refusal” and was sorry they viewed the events that way. “I’m not for doing things that are disagreeable for partners,” he said.
The trial continues.
