DSK angry over focus on his 'rough' sexual antics
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has compared prostitutes to flying fish and has lost his temper at the probing questions about his sex life as he faces the judge for the second time in his pimping trial.
Key Points:
- DSK one of 14 charged with 'aggravated pimping'
- Ex-IMF chief denies he knew women were prostitutes
- Says he only attended orgies a few times a year
5.36pm: DSK's second day in the dock
Only just tuning in? Scroll down for a selection of the best tweets, pics, and quotes from the day. DSK will face his third and likely final day in the dock on Thursday. 5.09pm: Obama and DSK going viral
During the lull in the trial as a girlfriend of one of the accused men takes the stand (and she says she has no idea why she was called into the dock), take a look at this picture doing the rounds. It's anyone's guess what was actually going on at this moment...
NO, you can't !! #DSK pic.twitter.com/lR9Cez8C7G
— Yael Mellul (@Me_Yael_Mellul) February 7, 2015
Indeed, many tweeters have enjoyed the chance to mock DSK for his sexual appetite, and it's proving easier than ever when the man himself says he his "sexuality is rougher than that of the average man".
Read more quotes from the trial that are bound to leave you gobsmacked, here.
4.56pm: Disabled strike
Taking the chance to get the attention of a nearby media throng, campaigners for disabled rights have gathered outside the courthouse.
demo outside #DSK court in favour of the disabled, campaigners using media attention on #Carlton for good cause pic.twitter.com/v4VBahT3Jd
— clovis casali (@cloviscasali) February 11, 2015
4.50pm: Isn't power great?
The trial has been focusing on some of the other characters involved. Remember that there are 14 people charged with aggravated pimping. David Roquet, another of those charged, allegedly told a prostitute "Oh, isn't it great to have power" during a sexual encounter in a Washington hotel. He told the judge that this statement was referring to the quality of the hotel and the champagne - and nothing to do with having a sexual relationship with a prostitute.
4:30pm: DSK looking tired
From the look of DSK the trial is taking its toll on him. He looked weary leaving for court today.
4.14pm: Public reaction
A bit of reaction doing the rounds from the Twittersphere:
Excuse of the day: "The orgies weren't THAT frequent." #DSK
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 10, 2015
j'ai fini par le faire... #50nuancesdeGrey #50nuances #InitiezMoi #DSK #CarltonLille #50ShadesOfGrey #50Shades pic.twitter.com/owJ70HWS6w
— Benoit B (@Supersonic_909) February 11, 2015
The best quotes from the #DSK trial. The judge must be enjoying this! http://t.co/vUWL3RBZoA
— James Savage (@jamesstockholm) February 11, 2015
With hands crossed in front of them, standing, faces grim, DSK and his 3 friends remind me of schoolboys summoned to principal's office
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015
4.06pm: DSK 'not handsome'. DSK has come under fire again for his looks, it seems. A third ex-prostitute, Estelle, has taken the stand. She said that DSK and the ex-policeman Lagarde simply must have known that she was a sex worker because "they aren't handsome" men.
3:23pm - In case you need to catch up
Here's a wrap from AFP, which focuses on DSK losing his temper in court today:
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Wednesday lashed out at the focus on his sexual behaviour in a French court where he is charged with pimping, saying he was not on trial for "deviant" acts.
The 65-year-old, once seen as a front-runner for the French presidency, said the idea that his preference for certain practices highlighted in court, such as sodomy, would spur him to seek out prostitutes was "absurd."
For a second day, the court in the northern city of Lille picked apart sex parties attended by Strauss-Kahn in Paris, Brussels and Washington in a bid to uncover whether he arranged for prostitutes to attend.
While prostitution in itself is legal, encouraging and organising its practice is considered to be procuring and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The most outrageous quotes from the DSK trial so far
(Photo: AFP)
Strauss-Kahn denies knowing that the women with whom he engaged in "free and friendly" sex parties were prostitutes, saying paying for sex would be too great a risk for a man at the head of the IMF, which was busy "saving the world from an unprecedented" financial crisis.
Wednesday's proceedings began with an emotional account from Jade, an ex-prostitute, about a night in a Brussels hotel where she said Strauss-Kahn sodomised her without permission, in what she said was a clear sign he knew she was paid to be there.
Jade sobbed as the court pushed her to recount the evening.
"I experienced a penetration without my permission. If I was a libertine, I would at least have been asked if I wanted to do that," she said, adding she had not had time to protest.
3:10pm - DSK not happy to be called naive
Strauss-Kahn appears cheesed-off at suggestions he was naive for thinking Jade was not a prostitute. "I can't let it be said I was naive, because a four-metre bed doesn't necessarily mean she was a prostitute," he tells the court.
(A file image of DSK from 2007. Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen/WikiCommons)
3:00pm - Was Jade a 'gift' to DSK or not?
The trial is focusing on the fact one of the prostitutes named Jade was paid €2,000 to travel to Washington DC to meet DSK.
She says she didn't have sex with DSK there but with another man who was presented to her via DSK's co-accused Fabrice Paszkowski.
Paszkowski tells the judge she was paid to travel to Washington but not to have sex, to which the judge responds "What for then, to see the city?"
It emerged that Jade visited DSK in his office at the IMF where a photo was taken, which he claims shows he had no idea she was a prostitute.
#DSK: "If I'd known Jade was a prostitute, I'd never have taken a photo with her (in US office). It would have been too risky." #Carlton
— Henry Samuel (@H_E_Samuel) February 11, 2015
2.34pm: Feminists are disgusted.
If you missed it yesterday, the morning was interrupted by topless protesters from Femen.
Inna Shevchenko, the head of Femen France, has just told The Local that the DSK trial is a "disgusting example" of the sex industry.
"The sex industry is not about pleasure and money for men but violence and suffering for women," she says. #femen says to DSK, it's his turn to be fucked now. pic.twitter.com/DJBflhFTtH
— inna shevchenko (@femeninna) February 10, 2015
She added that it shouldn't be about "shaming the political elite", rather "fighting the romanticisation of the sex industry in France that is destroying so many people's futures". Check back in later for more from Shevchenko. 1.15: Artist's impression
The court is adjourned until 2pm for lunch. Meanwhile, take a look at this sketch from François Boucq, the comic-book artist who has the only ticket to draw everything going on inside. Remember, cameras and recording devices have been banned.
In the sketch, DSK says "For me, a libertine party is one where men and women gather for the pleasure of sex".
Here's another from Tuesday:
(Photot: AFP)
If you want to see more of his work, check out his official Facebook page here.
12.50pm: The most outrageous quotes so far
The past few days in the courtroom have provided some gobsmacking quotes - from comparing prostitutes to flying fish to some not so subtle references to oral sex. As the court steps out for lunch, we've gathered the quotes most likely to make you spit out your coffee. You have been warned.
The most outrageous quotes from the DSK trial so far
12.33pm: Fifty shades of DSK?
Many French social media users haven't missed the chance to draw parallels between the DSK case and the release of the new film Fifty Shades of Grey, which hits French cinemas later in the day. In fact, French viewers will be among the first in the world to catch a glimpse of the film, as it will be released in France hours ahead of the Berlin premiere. The movie, a sex-filled romance romp, has drawn harsh criticism from groups against violence towards women, who argue that the bondage scenes are inappropriate for cinemas. 
(A few copies of the sordid sex stories (Fifty Shades, not DSKä's). Photo: Flickr) 12.17pm: Morning round-up
Here is a round-up on Wednesday morning's activities from the AFP news agency. Tears and tension marked the start of proceedings on Wednesday as an ex-prostitute, Jade, detailed a night in a Brussels hotel where she said Strauss-Kahn sodomised her without permission in what she said was a clear sign he knew she was paid to be there. Jade sobbed as the court pushed her to recount the evening. "I experienced a penetration without my permission. If I was a libertine, I would at least have been asked if I wanted to do that," she said, adding she had not had time to protest. Strauss-Kahn said he did not know she objected and was "sorry" she experienced it that way. The judge then asked Jade why she had agreed to a trip to Washington with Strauss-Kahn in January 2010. "For 2,000 euros! I am not going to say no. I love travelling. I had never seen Washington," she said, admitting she had taken photographs of herself with Strauss-Kahn in his office at the IMF head office. Jade said that while Strauss-Kahn's entourage had asked her to be "discreet" and pretend she was a secretary on the trip to Washington, she had previously had a conversation with him in which she mentioned she worked at a swingers club. "He said 'it would be nice to come and see you one day'." Strauss-Kahn then took the stand and said being an erotic dancer did not make someone a prostitute. Both Jade and another former prostitute have argued Strauss-Kahn would have been "naive" not to know they were paid. 11.48am: "An assault on women's dignity"
DSK has told the judge that he finds prostitution to be "an assault on women's dignity". The comments come shortly after he compared prostitutes at orgies to flying fish. "They do exist," he told the court. "But you don't often see them." The Frenchman is seeking to convince the judge that he wasn't aware the women he was sleeping with were being paid.
The constant probes into the ex-IMF head are causing him to lose his patience.
#DSK loses his temper: "I've had enough! What is the point for the court in constantly going back to my sexual practices?"
— Henry Samuel (@H_E_Samuel) February 11, 2015
'I am not on trial for deviant sexual practices' #DSK told the court
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015
11:20am: Why Lille?
In case you're wondering why this enormous trial is being held in the relatively small city of Lille, it's because it is the base out of which the alleged prostitution ring operated.
The city is close to the Belgian border, a country where prostitution is tolerated and the laws around procurement are vague. Dodo the Pimp, another character in the case, owns sex clubs not far from Lille across the border.
READ ALSO: Ten things to know about Dodo the Pimp
(Photo: Google Maps)
The #Carlton hotel in Lille, where an alleged prostitution ring operated --#DSK never set foot in the hotel pic.twitter.com/jryezslq32
— inti (@landauro) February 10, 2015
11.04am: DSK takes the stand again
Strauss-Kahn has taken the stand for the second day in a row. This time he is answering questions about an orgy in Brussels.
He has slammed former prostitute Jade for her choice of language in comparing a Brussels orgy to a "butchery", with all the people strewn across mattresses.
"The sexual practices performed that night may not appeal to Jade, but [her choice of words] does not imply that there were prostitutes," he told the court.
Remember, DSK is on trial for pimping - he is seeking to prove that he had no idea that the women with whom he was having group sex were prostitutes.
#DSK takes the stand to respond to prostitute's allegations. He's cool as a cucumber: "Thought it would be fun to go to a swinger's club"
— Tony Todd (@awtodd) February 11, 2015
'I came with a girlfriend, there were dozens of women' at Belgian swingers club Tantra. 'Why wld I need a prostitute on top of that': #DSK
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015
#DSK: "I admit I have a rougher sexuality that the average man. I am the same with all women"
— Henry Samuel (@H_E_Samuel) February 11, 2015
He is expected to spend three days answering questions, in a trial predicted to last three weeks.
10.45am: Cartoonists take aim
Satirical cartoonists are having a field day with the trial. Here are a few doodles doing the rounds online.
Affaire du #CarltonLille, #DSK se défend pic.twitter.com/dt2MqaQ5ev
— Olivier Vial (@ovial) February 11, 2015
#DSK today pic.twitter.com/a9K5qdmCUY
— Jeremy Banx (@Banxcartoons) February 11, 2015
10:35am: 'Given his appearance how could he not know'?
One person who has been closely following the trial is Douglas Wigdor, the lawyer for Nafissatou Diallo, who accused Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault at the Sofitel hotel in 2011. Wigdor says Strauss-Khan's testimony is not credible. "He said he came in the room and that young women threw themselves at him. That he didn't know they were prostitutes. But, considering his age and his physical appearance… it is laughable. That really shows what he is capable of doing and saying in court," Wigdor told BFM TV. The American lawyer, who is following the Lille trial from his New York office, still believes the dropping of the charges against DSK over the Sofitel affair was "a sham"" 10:30am: DSK 'tried something nasty'
Jade, the second former prostitute to testify, is sharing more details about her meetings with DSK. She has just said that she was paid €2,000 to fly to Washington for sex with DSK and that he "must have known" she was a sex worker. She adds that with all the people on all the mattresses, it was "like a meat market".
Prostitute in #DSK trial says DSK 'tried something nasty' at hotel room after leaving swinger's club: "he treated me like a whore"
— Tony Todd (@awtodd) February 11, 2015
Crying, Jade said DSK performed sodomy on her without asking permission, as sign he must have known she was a prostitute
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015
She has refused to respond to further probing about the more graphic details, saying the meetings "destroyed her private life".
10.14am: Former sex worker takes stand
Proceedings have kicked off in the Lille courtroom, with the second ex-prostitute Jade taking the stand again.
Crying, Jade said DSK performed sodomy on her without asking permission, as sign he must have known she was a prostitute
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015
Meanwhile, in case you missed everything from Tuesday - read the highlights here.
10.01am:
Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was to take the stand for a second day Wednesday in a bid to convince judges he was not at the heart of a global vice ring, in a trial which has exposed lurid details of his sex life.
The court in the northern French city of Lille, where the 65-year-old is charged alongside 13 others for "aggravated pimping", picked over often crude elements of the sexual preferences of the once-presidential front-runner when he first took the stand Tuesday.
However the crux of the case against him, is not whether he took part in group sex, but whether he organised for prostitutes to attend orgies in Paris, Brussels and Washington, which legally is considered procuring and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Strauss-Kahn steadfastly denies knowing that the women with whom he engaged in "free and friendly" libertinism were prostitutes, saying paying for sex would be too great a risk for a man at the head of the International Monetary Fund, which was busy "saving the world from an unprecedented" financial crisis.
He also said that as an unabashed libertine, the fun for him lay in the "playful party atmosphere" and the presence of prostitutes would render his soirees seedy.
"I am horrified at the practice of using prostitutes," he said.
Strauss-Kahn also objected to the impression given by the prosecution of a "frenetic" programme of sex parties, saying he only took part in such "recreational outlets" four times a year between 2008 and 2011.
Comments
See Also
Key Points:
- DSK one of 14 charged with 'aggravated pimping'
- Ex-IMF chief denies he knew women were prostitutes
- Says he only attended orgies a few times a year
5.36pm: DSK's second day in the dock
5.09pm: Obama and DSK going viral
During the lull in the trial as a girlfriend of one of the accused men takes the stand (and she says she has no idea why she was called into the dock), take a look at this picture doing the rounds. It's anyone's guess what was actually going on at this moment...
NO, you can't !! #DSK pic.twitter.com/lR9Cez8C7G
— Yael Mellul (@Me_Yael_Mellul) February 7, 2015 Indeed, many tweeters have enjoyed the chance to mock DSK for his sexual appetite, and it's proving easier than ever when the man himself says he his "sexuality is rougher than that of the average man".
Read more quotes from the trial that are bound to leave you gobsmacked, here.
4.56pm: Disabled strike
Taking the chance to get the attention of a nearby media throng, campaigners for disabled rights have gathered outside the courthouse.
demo outside #DSK court in favour of the disabled, campaigners using media attention on #Carlton for good cause pic.twitter.com/v4VBahT3Jd
— clovis casali (@cloviscasali) February 11, 2015 4.50pm: Isn't power great?
He told the judge that this statement was referring to the quality of the hotel and the champagne - and nothing to do with having a sexual relationship with a prostitute.
4:30pm: DSK looking tired
From the look of DSK the trial is taking its toll on him. He looked weary leaving for court today.
4.14pm: Public reaction
A bit of reaction doing the rounds from the Twittersphere:
Excuse of the day: "The orgies weren't THAT frequent." #DSK
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 10, 2015 j'ai fini par le faire... #50nuancesdeGrey #50nuances #InitiezMoi #DSK #CarltonLille #50ShadesOfGrey #50Shades pic.twitter.com/owJ70HWS6w
— Benoit B (@Supersonic_909) February 11, 2015 The best quotes from the #DSK trial. The judge must be enjoying this! http://t.co/vUWL3RBZoA
— James Savage (@jamesstockholm) February 11, 2015 With hands crossed in front of them, standing, faces grim, DSK and his 3 friends remind me of schoolboys summoned to principal's office
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015 DSK has come under fire again for his looks, it seems. A third ex-prostitute, Estelle, has taken the stand. She said that DSK and the ex-policeman Lagarde simply must have known that she was a sex worker because "they aren't handsome" men.
3:23pm - In case you need to catch up
Here's a wrap from AFP, which focuses on DSK losing his temper in court today:
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Wednesday lashed out at the focus on his sexual behaviour in a French court where he is charged with pimping, saying he was not on trial for "deviant" acts.
The 65-year-old, once seen as a front-runner for the French presidency, said the idea that his preference for certain practices highlighted in court, such as sodomy, would spur him to seek out prostitutes was "absurd."
For a second day, the court in the northern city of Lille picked apart sex parties attended by Strauss-Kahn in Paris, Brussels and Washington in a bid to uncover whether he arranged for prostitutes to attend.
While prostitution in itself is legal, encouraging and organising its practice is considered to be procuring and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The most outrageous quotes from the DSK trial so far
(Photo: AFP)
Strauss-Kahn denies knowing that the women with whom he engaged in "free and friendly" sex parties were prostitutes, saying paying for sex would be too great a risk for a man at the head of the IMF, which was busy "saving the world from an unprecedented" financial crisis.
Wednesday's proceedings began with an emotional account from Jade, an ex-prostitute, about a night in a Brussels hotel where she said Strauss-Kahn sodomised her without permission, in what she said was a clear sign he knew she was paid to be there.
Jade sobbed as the court pushed her to recount the evening.
"I experienced a penetration without my permission. If I was a libertine, I would at least have been asked if I wanted to do that," she said, adding she had not had time to protest.
3:10pm - DSK not happy to be called naive
Strauss-Kahn appears cheesed-off at suggestions he was naive for thinking Jade was not a prostitute. "I can't let it be said I was naive, because a four-metre bed doesn't necessarily mean she was a prostitute," he tells the court.
(A file image of DSK from 2007. Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen/WikiCommons)
3:00pm - Was Jade a 'gift' to DSK or not?
The trial is focusing on the fact one of the prostitutes named Jade was paid €2,000 to travel to Washington DC to meet DSK.
She says she didn't have sex with DSK there but with another man who was presented to her via DSK's co-accused Fabrice Paszkowski.
Paszkowski tells the judge she was paid to travel to Washington but not to have sex, to which the judge responds "What for then, to see the city?"
It emerged that Jade visited DSK in his office at the IMF where a photo was taken, which he claims shows he had no idea she was a prostitute.
#DSK: "If I'd known Jade was a prostitute, I'd never have taken a photo with her (in US office). It would have been too risky." #Carlton
— Henry Samuel (@H_E_Samuel) February 11, 2015 2.34pm: Feminists are disgusted.
If you missed it yesterday, the morning was interrupted by topless protesters from Femen.
Inna Shevchenko, the head of Femen France, has just told The Local that the DSK trial is a "disgusting example" of the sex industry.
#femen says to DSK, it's his turn to be fucked now. pic.twitter.com/DJBflhFTtH
— inna shevchenko (@femeninna) February 10, 2015 1.15: Artist's impression
The court is adjourned until 2pm for lunch. Meanwhile, take a look at this sketch from François Boucq, the comic-book artist who has the only ticket to draw everything going on inside. Remember, cameras and recording devices have been banned.
In the sketch, DSK says "For me, a libertine party is one where men and women gather for the pleasure of sex".
Here's another from Tuesday:
(Photot: AFP)
If you want to see more of his work, check out his official Facebook page here.
12.50pm: The most outrageous quotes so far
The past few days in the courtroom have provided some gobsmacking quotes - from comparing prostitutes to flying fish to some not so subtle references to oral sex. As the court steps out for lunch, we've gathered the quotes most likely to make you spit out your coffee. You have been warned.
The most outrageous quotes from the DSK trial so far
12.33pm: Fifty shades of DSK?
(A few copies of the sordid sex stories (Fifty Shades, not DSKä's). Photo: Flickr)
12.17pm: Morning round-up
11.48am: "An assault on women's dignity"
DSK has told the judge that he finds prostitution to be "an assault on women's dignity". The comments come shortly after he compared prostitutes at orgies to flying fish. "They do exist," he told the court. "But you don't often see them." The Frenchman is seeking to convince the judge that he wasn't aware the women he was sleeping with were being paid.
The constant probes into the ex-IMF head are causing him to lose his patience.
#DSK loses his temper: "I've had enough! What is the point for the court in constantly going back to my sexual practices?"
— Henry Samuel (@H_E_Samuel) February 11, 2015 'I am not on trial for deviant sexual practices' #DSK told the court
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015 11:20am: Why Lille?
In case you're wondering why this enormous trial is being held in the relatively small city of Lille, it's because it is the base out of which the alleged prostitution ring operated.
The city is close to the Belgian border, a country where prostitution is tolerated and the laws around procurement are vague. Dodo the Pimp, another character in the case, owns sex clubs not far from Lille across the border.
READ ALSO: Ten things to know about Dodo the Pimp
(Photo: Google Maps)
The #Carlton hotel in Lille, where an alleged prostitution ring operated --#DSK never set foot in the hotel pic.twitter.com/jryezslq32
— inti (@landauro) February 10, 2015 11.04am: DSK takes the stand again
Strauss-Kahn has taken the stand for the second day in a row. This time he is answering questions about an orgy in Brussels.
He has slammed former prostitute Jade for her choice of language in comparing a Brussels orgy to a "butchery", with all the people strewn across mattresses.
"The sexual practices performed that night may not appeal to Jade, but [her choice of words] does not imply that there were prostitutes," he told the court.
Remember, DSK is on trial for pimping - he is seeking to prove that he had no idea that the women with whom he was having group sex were prostitutes.
#DSK takes the stand to respond to prostitute's allegations. He's cool as a cucumber: "Thought it would be fun to go to a swinger's club"
— Tony Todd (@awtodd) February 11, 2015 'I came with a girlfriend, there were dozens of women' at Belgian swingers club Tantra. 'Why wld I need a prostitute on top of that': #DSK
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015 #DSK: "I admit I have a rougher sexuality that the average man. I am the same with all women"
— Henry Samuel (@H_E_Samuel) February 11, 2015 He is expected to spend three days answering questions, in a trial predicted to last three weeks.
10.45am: Cartoonists take aim
Satirical cartoonists are having a field day with the trial. Here are a few doodles doing the rounds online.
Affaire du #CarltonLille, #DSK se défend pic.twitter.com/dt2MqaQ5ev
— Olivier Vial (@ovial) February 11, 2015 #DSK today pic.twitter.com/a9K5qdmCUY
— Jeremy Banx (@Banxcartoons) February 11, 2015 10:35am: 'Given his appearance how could he not know'?
10:30am: DSK 'tried something nasty'
Jade, the second former prostitute to testify, is sharing more details about her meetings with DSK. She has just said that she was paid €2,000 to fly to Washington for sex with DSK and that he "must have known" she was a sex worker. She adds that with all the people on all the mattresses, it was "like a meat market".
Prostitute in #DSK trial says DSK 'tried something nasty' at hotel room after leaving swinger's club: "he treated me like a whore"
— Tony Todd (@awtodd) February 11, 2015 Crying, Jade said DSK performed sodomy on her without asking permission, as sign he must have known she was a prostitute
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015 She has refused to respond to further probing about the more graphic details, saying the meetings "destroyed her private life".
10.14am: Former sex worker takes stand
Proceedings have kicked off in the Lille courtroom, with the second ex-prostitute Jade taking the stand again.
Crying, Jade said DSK performed sodomy on her without asking permission, as sign he must have known she was a prostitute
— Fran Blandy (@franblandy) February 11, 2015 Meanwhile, in case you missed everything from Tuesday - read the highlights here.
10.01am:
Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was to take the stand for a second day Wednesday in a bid to convince judges he was not at the heart of a global vice ring, in a trial which has exposed lurid details of his sex life.
The court in the northern French city of Lille, where the 65-year-old is charged alongside 13 others for "aggravated pimping", picked over often crude elements of the sexual preferences of the once-presidential front-runner when he first took the stand Tuesday.
However the crux of the case against him, is not whether he took part in group sex, but whether he organised for prostitutes to attend orgies in Paris, Brussels and Washington, which legally is considered procuring and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Strauss-Kahn steadfastly denies knowing that the women with whom he engaged in "free and friendly" libertinism were prostitutes, saying paying for sex would be too great a risk for a man at the head of the International Monetary Fund, which was busy "saving the world from an unprecedented" financial crisis.
He also said that as an unabashed libertine, the fun for him lay in the "playful party atmosphere" and the presence of prostitutes would render his soirees seedy.
"I am horrified at the practice of using prostitutes," he said.
Strauss-Kahn also objected to the impression given by the prosecution of a "frenetic" programme of sex parties, saying he only took part in such "recreational outlets" four times a year between 2008 and 2011.
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