Advertisement

Women rally in Paris against Strauss-Kahn

Hotel workers wait outside of Manhattan Criminal Court for the arrival of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund Manager on June 6, 2011 in New York City. Strauss-Kahn is expected to plead not guilty as he faces charges stemming from last month's incident where he allegedly sexually assaulted a hotel employee. UPI /Monika Graff.
1 of 4 | Hotel workers wait outside of Manhattan Criminal Court for the arrival of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund Manager on June 6, 2011 in New York City. Strauss-Kahn is expected to plead not guilty as he faces charges stemming from last month's incident where he allegedly sexually assaulted a hotel employee. UPI /Monika Graff. | License Photo

PARIS, June 4 (UPI) -- French women took to the streets of Paris to bring more attention to sexual abuse as a result of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case, officials said.

Strauss-Kahn is the former head of the International Monetary Fund who was arrested last month after a chambermaid in a New York hotel alleged he forced her to perform oral sex on him.

Advertisement

Protesters in Paris Friday sought to focus attention on the incident as a way of preventing future abuse, The Guardian reported Saturday.

"I was raped by a powerful man. I went to the police, they said the pressure would fall on me and I risked being destroyed," said one protester. "I didn't take it any further. Victims feel they have almost no voice in France. We hope that might change now."

Strauss-Kahn denies the charges against him. He is under house arrest in New York while awaiting court appearances. Strauss-Kahn said the incident was voluntary and he didn't force the maid to do anything against her will.

Gisele Halimi, a well-known feminist lawyer, said if the Strauss-Khan incident had happened in France, it probably would never have reached court.

Advertisement

"Frankly some things we've heard we would have preferred not to," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Latest Headlines