Maid Sues Strauss-Kahn|for Civil Sexual Assault

BRONX, N.Y. (CN) - Dominique Strauss-Kahn's accuser filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit against the former International Monetary Fund chief, claiming he "intentionally, brutally and violently sexually assaulted" her.

Nafissatou Diallo, who worked as a housekeeper in the Sofitel Hotel in midtown Manhattan, sued Strauss-Kahn for battery, assault, prima facie tort, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment, in Bronx County Supreme Court.

"Believing that he was immune from the laws of this country, defendant Strauss-Kahn intentionally, brutally and violently sexually assaulted Ms. Diallo and in the process humiliated, degraded, violated and robbed Ms. Diallo of her dignity as a woman," the complaint states.

She seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

In her lawsuit, Diallo calls Strauss-Kahn "a man who had aspirations to become the next president of France," and herself "an innocent hard-working immigrant woman from Africa whom he had never met before and entered his hotel room merely to do her job and clean it."

Diallo claims Strauss-Kahn injured her shoulder and vagina in the attack before forcing her into an act of oral sex.

Diallo adds that her report to police led to unwanted worldwide media attention and accusations of being a "professional con artist" with "a plan to entrap a rich guy."

She says Strauss-Kahn's friends and lawyers falsely claiming that the act was consensual, and that the New York Post "even called her a prostitute," which also is false.

Diallo says she filed the lawsuit "to teach her young daughter that no man - regardless of how much money, power and influence he has - should ever be allowed to violate her body, and to stand up for all women who have been raped, sexually assaulted and/or abused throughout the world but who are too afraid to speak out."

Diallo claims she can present evidence of other women who were attacked by Strauss-Kahn in hotel rooms and apartments around the world.

She is represented by Kenneth Thompson and Douglas Widgor with Thompson Wigdor, of Manhattan.

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