Strauss-Kahn And Team Aren't Sweating The Civil Suit

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has spoken out about the now-dismissed criminal case against him, saying, “It has been a nightmare.” And his lawyers say they’re not worried about Nafissatou Diallo’s civil suit.

According to IOLNews, Strauss-Kahn told press as he left the courthouse yesterday, “These past two and a half months have been a nightmare for me and my family.” He also said, “I’m relieved. I will speak more soon. It has been a nightmare. I want to go home.” Now he can — but first, he and wife Anne Sinclair reportedly celebrated his freedom with dinner at an Italian restaurant in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, Diallo’s lawyer Kenneth Thompson tells CNN she was “devastated” by the judge’s decision. He adds,

She has told the truth about what happened in that hotel room. She can’t understand why Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance would abandon her. She and her daughter have been crying through the night.

The AFP also reached Diallo’s brother, Mamadou Dian Diallo, who says, “We leave it to God the almighty, but we would have liked to see justice done for my sister.”

Diallo’s civil suit has yet to be decided, but DSK’s lawyers are optimistic. Says attorney William Taylor, “She doesn’t have much, if any, chance in a civil case. The same difficulties, the same lies will come back to haunt her in a civil case.” It’s not clear whether their optimism is well-founded: as many have noted, the burden of proof is lower in a civil case than in a criminal one. And DSK’s political future seems severely clouded. Says The Economist:

It would be almost impossible for him to run for the presidency, even if the Socialist Party were to change its rules to enable him to do so. The detailed descriptions of the alleged sexual encounter in the New York hotel room are too fresh in voters’ minds.

They add that, “The best Mr Strauss-Kahn may be able to hope for is to play a role in the upcoming election campaign as a sort of elder statesman, advising on economic affairs at a time when the Socialist candidates’ inexperience in dealing with a financial crisis is an electoral handicap.” Whether that’s a bigger electoral handicap than being associated with a man accused of sexual assault remains to be seen.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s Lawyers Not Worried About Civil Suit [CNN]
Freed DSK Tells Of ‘My Nightmare’ [IOLNews]
Strauss-Kahn Accuser’s Family Says Justice Was Not Done [AFP]
What Sort Of Homecoming For DSK? [Economist]
DSK Celebrates In NY After Sex Case Collapses [YouTube]