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| Socialist politican Aurelie Filippetti says Strauss-Kahn tried to chat her up |
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The hotel maid at the centre of sex attack allegations against IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is in hiding and feels "very threatened", her lawyer has said.
The 32-year-old is a widow with a teenaged daughter and was unaware of Strauss-Kahn's identity until after the alleged incident at a hotel in New York, Jeffrey Shapiro said.
He added any suggestion his client was involved in a conspiracy to frame him was "ridiculous".
The head of the International Monetary Fund, who is facing growing pressure to quit, has reportedly been placed on suicide watch at New York's notorious Rikers Island prison.
Guards are said to be regularly checking on the 62-year-old, but he is not believed to have attempted to harm himself.
It is claimed he attacked and attempted to rape the maid, from the West African nation of Guinea, at the city's Sofitel hotel on May 14 when she entered his suite.
Mr Shapiro said: "She didn't have any idea who he was or have any prior dealings with this guy."
He said that after the woman "escaped from the room she reported it to security, the New York City police were called, they interviewed her, they investigated the scene".
He added: "She's been the victim of a rape and physical assault, she hasn't had a chance to deal with that personally.
"She wants to remain anonymous because she's very much afraid that something could happen to her physically, she feels very threatened by this."
As well as pressure in his professional life, Strauss-Kahn's private life also appears to be unravelling.
Tristane Banon, a writer and daughter of a Socialist politician, has said she is talking to her lawyers about an alleged attempted rape in 2002.
The 31-year-old goddaughter of Strauss-Kahn's second wife Brigitte Guillemette claimed she was lured to a Paris studio flat by him on the premise of an interview.
She claims things turned nasty, with Strauss-Kahn at first insisting on holding her hand, but eventually trying to rip her clothes off.
In an interview in 2007, Ms Banon described Strauss-Kahn as acting like a "rutting chimpanzee" - but his name was bleeped out when it was broadcast.
The only reason she did not press charges at the time, her mother Anne Mansouret claimed, is because she did not want to ruin her fledgling career.
In other revelations, socialist politician Aurelie Filippetti has claimed Strauss-Kahn made a "very heavy, very insistent" attempt to chat her up in 2008, while playwright Yasmina Reza has also been romantically linked to him.
Spanish writer Carmen Llera also appeared to allude to a relationship with him in two of her books.
Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have denied the charges of a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
He was denied bail at a hearing on Monday and is due to reappear in court Friday.
A source at the IMF's board has been reported saying it would be "ideal" if its jailed boss resigned. The board is said to be attempting to contact him.
The allegations are undoubtedly an embarrassment for the organisation, which has not commented on speculation the economist could be removed from his job.
An IMF spokesman said: "Obviously, it will be important to be in contact with him in due course... We continue to monitor developments."
Reports say the United States is considering proposing White House adviser David Lipton to take over from John Lipsky as interim boss of the IMF. The US Treasury declined to comment.
SKYNEWS
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