Democratic Underground - She is the goddaughter of his second wife; DSK's name was bleeped out in a 2007 TV interview

and her mother, in the Socialist Party, advised her to keep quiet about it, 9 years ago.

A local official of the Socialist party claimed that Strauss-Kahn had attacked her daughter, who is goddaughter to Strauss-Kahn's second wife, in 2002.

Tristane Banon was in her 20s and writing a book when she approached Strauss-Kahn for an interview in 2002. In a TV programme in 2007, in which Strauss-Kahn's name had been bleeped out, Banon allegedly described him as a "rutting chimpanzee" and described how she was forced to fight him off. "It finished badly � very violently � I kicked him," Banon said. "When we were fighting, I mentioned the word 'rape' to make him afraid, but it didn't have any effect. I managed to get out."

Banon consulted a lawyer, but did not press charges. "I didn't want to be known to the end of my days as the girl who had a problem with the politician."

Banon's mother, Anne Mansouret, told journalists on Sunday night she had dissuaded her daughter from legal action because she believed Strauss-Kahn's behaviour had been out of character and because of close links with his family. "Today I am sorry to have discouraged my daughter from complaining. I bear a heavy responsibility," she said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/16/dominique-strauss-kahn-tristane-banon

That's very interesting. Very bad to have not gone public, I think - but there's a record of the accusation from some time ago, so it's clearly not just jumping on the bandwagon.

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