Strauss-Kahn Won't Have Diplomatic Immunity: IMF

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IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn

In a possible setback to Dominique Strauss-Kahn's defense, the IMF said in a statement that its managing director will not enjoy diplomatic immunity in the sexual assault case against him.

"The (managing director's) immunities are limited and are not applicable to this case," said William Murray, an IMF spokesman.

Strauss-Kahn was denied bail Monday on attempted rape and other criminal charges stemming from alleged events in a New York City hotel, and prosecutors said they are investigating whether he may have engaged in similar conduct before.

Consensual Defense

Separately, the New York Post reported that Strauss-Kahn’s defense will assert that the alleged sexual encounter with a hotel maid was consensual, according to the New York Post.

The Post quotes an anonymous source as saying that “there may well have been consent”, following statements from Strauss-Kahn’s lawyer during his arraignment in a New York court yesterday. Previous media reports had suggested that his defence would hinge on an alibi from his daughter.

Strauss-Kahn has been denied bail as he waits to answer charges of forcible detainment and sexual assault in the US.

The scandal has proved a major embarrassment for the IMF, which is deeply involved in trying to find a resolution to Europe’s debt crisis. Strauss-Kahn, who is also widely reported to have been gearing up for a presidential run in his native France, was removed from an Air France plane on Sunday morning as he prepared to leave for a series of meetings with European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.