The former finance minister will plead not guilty to charges of carrying out a criminal sexual act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment. French officials say he must be presumed innocent unless proven guilty.Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest on sexual assault charges removes the toughest rival to French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the 2012 presidential race, bumping up his chances of re-election to a second term.
News of the charges against the IMF chief for assaulting a New York hotel maid shocked the world on Sunday, and unless the case unravels fast and shows him to be innocent, few can imagine a disgraced Strauss-Kahn running as the left-wing challenger.
But even if he is ultimately cleared, the case -- and the sordid publicity it will bring -- could easily run on well beyond the Socialist Party's autumn selection contest.
The charges of serious crimes mean Strauss-Kahn's reputation will not be spared by the French culture of ignoring the sexual behavior of politicians, as it was in 2008 when he emerged unscathed from a scandal over an affair with an IMF economist.
"It's too early to know what happened, but if things are confirmed then this is way beyond what we tolerate in France," said Paul Bacot, a political affairs professor at Sciences Po university in Lyon. "It's unbearable, for everybody."
French politicians were shocked. Socialist leader Martine Aubry called the news a "thunderbolt." Francois Bayrou, a centrist opponent of Strauss-Kahn, said: "If the facts prove true ... it's something degrading for all women. It's terrible for the image of France." Read More
Update: Dominique Strauss-Kahn Charged with a Criminal Sexual Act, Attempted Rape and Unlawful Imprisonment.
