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Strauss Kahn pimping trial: First defendant take stand Strauss-Kahn trial hears of lunchtime sex parties
(about 1 hour later)
The first defendant has taken the stand at the trial in northern France of former IMF head Dominic Strauss-Kahn for pimping. A former prostitute nicknamed Jade has given evidence at the trial of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, describing "classy" lunchtime sex parties.
Former hotel PR manager Rene Kojfer, 74, is accused of providing prostitutes for parties Mr Strauss-Kahn attended. Mr Strauss-Kahn appeared in court in the northern French city of Lille for a second day facing charges of pimping.
The former public relations manager for the Carlton Hotel in Lille is among 14 defendants to speak at the trial in the northern city. He is one of 14 defendants in the trial over an alleged prostitution ring centred on the city's Carlton Hotel.
The case has been dubbed "the Carlton affair" after the hotel. He admits taking part in orgies but steadfastly denies knowing that women involved were prostitutes.
Mr Kojfer admits to providing the contact details of prostitutes to a businessman, France's AFP news agency reports. The case has been dubbed the "Carlton affair" after the hotel.
Mr Strauss-Kahn and his 13 co-defendants lined up on Monday to hear the charges against them. 'Forced into prostitution'
Prosecutors in the trial allege that a ring of businessmen in the city of Lille supplied prostitutes for sex parties in Paris, Lille, and Washington. Jade burst into tears several times as she told the court how she had been forced into prostitution to support her two young children after her divorce.
"You are accused of aiding and abetting the prostitution of seven persons between 29 March 29 2008 and 4 October 2011, and of hiring and encouraging the prostitution of these same persons," Judge Bernard Lemaire said. She told how Rene Kojfer, a former public relations manager for the Carlton, and Dominique Alderweireld, a Belgian brothel owner known as Dodo the Pimp, had allegedly arranged for her to attend lunchtime sex parties at apartments in Lille.
Lurid details are likely to emerge over the course of the three-week trial, which will play host to a colourful cast of witnesses including policemen, prostitutes and a brothel owner. When Judge Bernard Lemaire asked her directly what the two paid her for, she replied: "Well, I wasn't there doing the cleaning."
"The court is not the guardian of morals but of the law and its proper application," Judge Lemaire added. Jade described the lunchtime parties as "classy", with men and women pairing off. During the investigation, she had described how a similar party involving Mr Strauss-Kahn was "carnage with a heap of mattresses on the floor".
Monday was taken up by procedural matters, with the defendants there only to hear the charges against them Mr Kojfer, 74, who also gave evidence on Tuesday, is accused of providing local businessmen and police officials with prostitutes.
The court rejected a request from the prosecutor for the trial to be held behind closed doors to protect the identity of prostitutes due to testify against Mr Strauss-Kahn and his co-defendants. Jade told the court that Mr Kojfer had once handed her cash directly for her work. In other cases, she said, the bill had been settled by Mr Alderweireld.
Along with Mr Strauss-Kahn and Mr Kojfer, the court will hear from Belgian brothel owner Dominique Alderweireld - "Dodo the Pimp" - who prosecutors allege was a key part of the prostitution ring. She also said Mr Kojfer had paid the women involved much less than promised, telling them "times are hard".
Mr Alderweireld was convicted of a separate case of pimping - facilitating the act of prostitution - in 2005 and given a five-year suspended sentence. "But we got a free bathrobe," she added.
In the wake of the allegations against Mr Strauss Kahn he renamed one of his clubs "DSK", insisting that it stood for "Dodo Sex Klub", but was forced to change the name again after the former IMF head took him to court. Prosecutors in the trial allege that Mr Kojfer and Mr Alderweireld were part of a ring of businessmen in the city of Lille which supplied prostitutes for sex parties in Paris, Lille, and Washington.
Mr Strauss-Kahn denies knowing Mr Alderweireld. Mr Kojfer denies aggravated pimping, claiming that he simply introduced friends to prostitutes that he knew.
It was during an investigation into Mr Kojfer and the activities at the hotel that police stumbled across Mr Strauss-Kahn's alleged involvement. In the wake of the allegations against Mr Strauss-Kahn, Mr Alderweireld renamed one of his clubs DSK, insisting that it stood for Dodo Sex Klub, but was forced to change the name again after the former IMF head took him to court.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Mr Strauss-Kahn denies knowing either Mr Alderweireld or Mr Kojfer. He has admitted attending group sex parties but denies knowing that the women were prostitutes, arguing that it was impossible to tell given that the women were naked.
One of the prostitutes who alleges she attended an orgy with Mr Strauss-Kahn said she had seen him with eight women at once. Sandrine Vandenschrik, who will give evidence at the trial, described the scene to police during the investigation.
"I was shocked," she said. "I didn't want to get involved in this carnage."
Mr Strauss-Kahn has admitted attending group sex parties but denied knowing that women at the orgies were prostitutes, arguing that it was impossible to tell given that the women were naked.
"I challenge you to tell the difference between a naked prostitute and a naked woman of the world," said Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyer Henri Leclerc in 2011."I challenge you to tell the difference between a naked prostitute and a naked woman of the world," said Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyer Henri Leclerc in 2011.
As head of the International Monetary Fund, Mr Strauss-Kahn's career prospects once included president of France. Those prospects collapsed in 2011 when he was accused of sexual assault by a maid in a New York Hotel. The trial in Lille, which takes place before a judge rather than jury, is expected to take around three weeks, with Mr Strauss-Kahn due to take the stand on 10 February.
Mr Strauss-Kahn stepped down from the IMF over the accusation and the charges were eventually dropped. He reached a settlement with the maid, Nafissatou Diallo. If found guilty, the former IMF chief could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 1.5m euros (£1.13m).
The trial in Lille, which takes place before a judge rather than jury, is expected to take around three weeks. Mr Strauss-Kahn's career prospects once included president of France. Those prospects collapsed in 2011 when he was accused of sexual assault by a maid in a New York Hotel.
Mr Strauss-Kahn is due to take the stand on 10 February. He stepped down from the IMF over the accusation and the charges were eventually dropped. He later reached a settlement with the maid, Nafissatou Diallo.
If found guilty, Mr Strauss-Kahn could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 1.5m euros (£1.13m). Dominique Strauss-Kahn