DSK accuser’s media blitz questioned

After more than two months in seclusion and anonymity, the hotel maid who accused former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexually assaulting her is telling her story and hoping for success in the court of public opinion.

But legal experts say talking to the media at this point is a risky tactic that could weaken the prosecution’s case against Strauss-Kahn and reduce the woman’s chances of winning a civil suit, which her lawyers said she intends to file shortly.

“I think the decision to come forward is a desperate gambit to try to put pressure on the prosecution to consider not dropping the case,” said Alan Dershowitz, a well-known criminal defense attorney.

Dershowitz said that while this move could ultimately succeed, “it’s a high-risk tactic, obviously devised by her lawyer, who may see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

The maid’s credibility was called into serious doubt after prosecutors alleged she lied on her asylum application and gave varying accounts of her actions after the May 14 encounter at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan.

Strauss-Kahn has vehemently denied the allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 23.