When we last checked in with Dominique Strauss-Kahn, he said he wanted to “apologize” several times, but it was unclear if the “mistake” he referred to involved forcing hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo to perform oral sex on him. On Sunday he returned to Paris, and was suddenly jovial, though quiet about the matter. He said only “a bientot,” and smiled as he wheeled his luggage through Charles de Gaulle airport. Later outside his home, he and his wife waved at paparazzi before heading inside.
Reaction to Strauss-Kahn’s return was mixed. Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang, who lives down the block, said:
“I am a happy neighbor … Finally, they are freed from this humiliating and unjust situation. They proved to have an amazing strength.”
Later in an interview, French First Lady Carla Bruni said of the case against the man who was once a frontrunner to challenge her husband for the French presidency:
“I am a bit confused, and I simply detested all the machismo reaction that followed. When women are belittled and attacked, I tend to take their side and feel solidarity with them.”
Though you might be fooled by Strauss-Kahn’s demeanor, he’s still facing a civil suit filed by Diallo and a criminal complaint filed by writer Tristane Banon, who says he tried to rape her in 2003.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Back In Paris; Greeted With Cheers By Supporters At France Airport [N.Y. Daily News]
Carla Sympathises With Women Abused By Strauss-Kahn [ANI]