It is a saga of money, fame and destitute women ferried to luxury locations for sex with powerful men, against a backdrop of economic deprivation and social misery.
The court is trying 13 men accused of pimping, including Strauss-Kahn. Most of the accused have no connection to the former IMF director. They deny the charges and say Strauss-Kahn never knew the women were paid because they kept it secret.
She said women slept in bunk beds in a kitchen and had to be available at all times. Another detail in court was the seeming power trip of the businessmen who delivered women to Strauss-Kahn. He said other women present had described him as courteous. The judges are likely to spend many weeks deliberating.
Even if observers feel there is little evidence to convict Strauss-Kahn of pimping, his public image has suffered. He has been a political pariah since his arrest in New York four years ago over the alleged attempted rape of the hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo, over which he settled a civil case after prosecutors dropped criminal charges.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn leaves his hotel to attend the trial. This article is more than 9 years old. View image in fullscreen. Reuse this content.
