Nafissatou Diallo, who claims she was sexually assaulted by former IMF cheif Dominique Strauss-Kahn, exits a courthouse after the case was settled in New York.
Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and a hotel maid settled her lawsuit on Monday over sexual assault allegations that sank his political career and spurred scrutiny of his dealings with women on two continents.
The housekeeper, Nafissatou Diallo, looked composed and resolute as State Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon announced the confidential deal. Mr. Strauss-Kahn stayed in Paris and was mum when asked about the settlement, which came after prosecutors abandoned a related criminal case because they said Ms. Diallo had credibility problems.
“I thank everyone who supported me all over the world,” Ms. Diallo, who has rarely spoken publicly since the May 2011 encounter between her and Mr. Strauss-Kahn, said softly after court.
“I thank God, and God bless you all,” she added.
In a statement, Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s attorneys William Taylor III and Amit Mehta said the former diplomat was “pleased to have arrived at a resolution of this matter.” They credited the judge with “patience and forbearance” that fostered the agreement.
The criminal case was dropped after prosecutors said they couldn’t trust Ms. Diallo. Among their concerns — she was inconsistent about her actions right after leaving his suite, and she told a compelling but false story of having been raped previously.
She said she always told the truth about Mr. Strauss-Kahn and would press her claims in the lawsuit. Mr. Strauss-Kahn called her suit defamatory and countersued for $1 million.
The judge said he met Ms. Diallo earlier this year and talked with her about the prospect of settlement talks. The negotiations continued, with a lengthy discussion involving the judge late last month, and a final deal was inked just on Monday, Mr. McKeon said.
“I want to say what a privilege it has been to work with all of you and to work on this case,” he told Ms. Diallo and the attorneys for both sides.
The judge said Ms. Diallo also settled a separate libel lawsuit against the New York Post over a series of articles that claimed she was a prostitute; the details of that settlement also weren’t disclosed. A spokeswoman for the News Corp.-owned newspaper didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ms. Diallo’s attorney Kenneth Thompson called her “a strong and courageous woman who never lost faith in our system of justice. With this resolution, she can move on with her life.”
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