Strauss-Kahn threatens legal action against maid

Dominique Strauss-Kahn may take civil legal action against the hotel maid who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a now-dismissed criminal case, one of the former IMF chief's lawyers said. Mr Strauss-Kahn could file his own claims to counter Nafissatou Diallo's ongoing civil lawsuit, the lawyer Benjamin Brafman said. "That's certainly a consideration, because she did lie and he has suffered enormous damages as a result of those lies."

A court on Tuesday dismissed the attempted rape and other charges against Mr Strauss-Kahn, who resigned his IMF post, spent five days in jail and then about six weeks under house arrest before being freed on 1 July. The dismissal of the case came after US prosecutors said there were doubts about Ms Diallo's credibility. Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have long said that the encounter at a Manhattan hotel was consensual.

"You can engage in behaviour that you're not proud of, and maybe some people might consider it inappropriate – it doesn't mean you committed a crime," Mr Brafman said.