LILLE, France, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Five out of six plaintiffs have dropped their accusations in the aggravated pimping trial against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
The four former prostitutes and one associate dropped their damages claims on Monday because they said they had no evidence. Strauss-Kahn, 65, was charged with aggravated pimping, but to be found guilty it has to be proved he knew the women were paid prostitutes.
Nid (Nest), a Catholic charity that provides aid to prostitutes, said it would maintain its accusations against the former IMF chief.
Strauss-Kahn has admitted to participating in orgies, but denies knowing prostitutes were used. The chances that Strauss-Kahn will be acquitted increased after the plaintiffs abandoned their damages claims, but some of them will remain as civil parties in the criminal case.
If convicted, Strauss-Kahn could be sentenced for up to 10 years in prison and fined about $1.7 million.
There are 13 other co-defendants in the aggravated pimping trial including a lawyer, luxury hotel managers, a former police commissioner and a brothel owner nicknamed "Dodo the Pimp."
