The lawsuit was filed in the State Supreme Court in the Bronx, where the woman lives, and uses only her initials. According to the suit, the newspaper and its reporters 'falsely, maliciously, and with reckless disregard for the truth stated as a fact that the Plaintiff is a 'prostitute,' 'hooker,' 'working girl' and/or 'routinely traded sex for money with male guests' of the Sofitel hotel located in Manhattan.'
'All of these statements are false [and] have subjected the Plaintiff to humiliation, scorn and ridicule throughout the world,' the lawsuit says.
A spokesman for the Post said, 'We stand by our reporting.' The Post is a division of News Corp., which also owns the The Wall Street Journal.
The Post cited 'a source close to the defense investigation' in a July 2 article saying she received 'extraordinary tips' and had expenses 'paid for by men not related to her.' The article didn't explicitly quote the source saying the woman was a prostitute, instead reporting that the newspaper 'has learned' she worked as one. Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer for Mr. Strauss-Kahn, declined to comment.
Prosecutors and police have said they investigated whether the woman engaged in prostitution while employed at the Sofitel and found no evidence of it. The parent company of the Sofitel didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Investigators have said there is forensic evidence that the maid had a sexual encounter with Mr. Strauss-Kahn. Lawyers for Mr. Strauss-Kahn have said no money was exchanged and the encounter was consensual. Prosecutors declined to comment on the lawsuit, and the maid's lawyers haven't responded to requests for comment.
The articles in question, from July 2 through July 4, were published within days of disclosures by prosecutors that the woman, a 32-year-old Guinean immigrant, had given them and grand jurors false statements, including about her whereabouts after the alleged attack, experiences she had in her country before she came to the U.S., and other issues.
Kenneth Thompson, a lawyer for the maid, said last week that her mistakes notwithstanding, she 'from day one has described that sexual assault many times,' and consistently.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62 years old, who has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in connection with her allegations, was released from house arrest Friday based on the revelations of his accuser's damaged credibility.
