Air France let only males serve Strauss-Kahn, report says

Air France has denied a claim that that only male employees were allowed to serve Dominique Strauss-Kahn when he travelled on its planes. Lawyers for Strauss-Kahn’s accuser have two accounts of sexual harassment by the former IMF chief from Air France staff, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

"Air France formally denies having given any instruction about the composition of its crews," a spokesperson said Thursday.

Lawyers Kenneth Thompson and Douglas Wigdor, acting for Nafissatou Diallo who has accused Strauss-Kahn of trying to rape her, have appealed to female Air France staff to come forward with more testimony of inappropriate behaviour on his part.

An anonymous letter tipped the lawyers off that the airline had issued an order that only men should work in the first class cabin of flights carrying Strauss-Kahn, the paper reports. It claimed that the company had received hundreds of complaints about his behaviour.

Another informant claimed that an Air France manager had to ask Strauss-Kahn to behave himself after an incident at Los Angeles airport.

"This inexplicable mindset which enables him to abuse women is further proof which gives credibility to the aggression suffered by Ms Diallo on 14 May ," the lawyers told Le Parisien.

Strauss-Kahn is also reported to have made a remark of a sexual nature to an air hostess on the flight he was obliged to leave when New York police called him in for questioning over Diallo’s charges.

Air France unions have denied receiving any complaints from staff about Strauss-Kahn.

Thompson has warned that a civil suit may be pressed if the ex-IMf chief escapes criminal trial.