Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn to face trial on pimping charges

Almost four years after his arrest in New York on allegations of rape, former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is due back in court today (Monday Feb 2). He’s facing charges of aggravated procuring for the purposes of prostitution – commonly known as pimping. The case which has become known as the Carlton Affair concerns so-called sex parties and a prostitution ring centered around the Carlton Hotel in the northern French city of Lille. If found guilty the one-time French finance minister could face up to 10 years in jail and a 1.5 million euro fine. The trial is going ahead despite the recommendation of a public prosecutor that the inquiry be dropped. There are 13 other co-defendants in the case. The trial is being viewed as a test of French tolerance for sexual and moral misconduct in the private lives of public figures.