Sexual assault lawsuit against Strauss-Kahn to proceed as diplomatic immunity claim rejected

New York, May 2 (ANI): A New York hotel maid's sexual assault lawsuit against Dominique Strauss-Kahn can go forward to trial after a judge dismissed the former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief's diplomatic immunity claim.

Strauss-Kahn's attempt to have the case thrown out by claiming his role as managing director of the IMF afforded him diplomatic immunity was described by a judge in The Bronx as a 'Hail Mary pass', a reference to a last-ditch American football play.

According to The Telegraph, Judge Douglas McKeon also noted that Strauss-Kahn had resigned from the IMF by the time the civil claim was brought, meaning he had no such immunity in any case.

"Confronted with well-stated law that his voluntary resignation from the IMF terminated any immunity which he enjoyed, Mr Strauss-Khan throws (legally speaking that is) his own version of a Hail Mary pass," the paper quoted the judge, as saying.

The housekeeper, Nafissatou Diallo, 33, said Strauss-Kahn, 63, tried to rape her when she arrived to clean his Manhattan hotel suite.

Strauss-Kahn has denied doing anything violent during the encounter.

The French politician also tried to claim that as he was under house arrest when the civil claim was bought, he was still afforded diplomatic immunity despite his resignation, but the judge rejected this. (ANI)