NY hotel maid: Kahn doesn't have immunity

Attorneys for a New York City hotel maid who claims she was sexually assaulted by former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn say he doesn't have immunity from a civil lawsuit against him.

Strauss-Kahn initially was charged with attempted rape after the maid said he attacked her in his Manhattan hotel suite in May and forced her to perform oral sex. The criminal case was dismissed when prosecutors said they had lost faith in her credibility after a series of lies she told them unrelated to the assault allegations.

The maid, an immigrant from Guinea, filed a civil complaint against the one-time French presidential contender. His lawyers say he had diplomatic immunity and can't be sued.

Attorneys for the maid said Monday the State Department's understanding is immunity for IMF officials would only involve their official capacities and "doesn't apply in this case."