The trial is best known for one of its defendants, Dominique Strauss-Kahn , ex-head of the International Monetary Fund, who is accused of aiding and abetting prostitution by having group sex with paid women brought to him in Europe and the US by businessmen friends. He strongly denies the pimping charge, admitting group sex but saying he did not know women at the orgies were prostitutes.
Before the trial turns its attention to Strauss-Kahn next week, judges have begun hearing the stories of prostitutes in Lille. One of the women, known as Jade, was a prostitute as part of the Hotel Carlton network in Lille before later being taken by businessmen. Described as having been the victim of child sexual abuse and having had a chaotic childhood, she told the court how she reluctantly turned to prostitution when she separated from her partner.
Her first encounter was a lorry driver. She worked at night in a basement room in the brothel with her baby asleep in a nearby room. When she could, she would stop and get temping work. At the club she met Rene Kojfer , 70, the flamboyant head of public relations for the luxury Hotel Carlton. He is alleged to have passed financially needy women around prominent men — including a dentist, police chief, lawyers and hotel bosses — in Lille for sex.
With Kojfer, Jade and two other women would be taken to a flat adjoining the hotel where they met men. They had lunch.
We were their dessert. In tears, Jade described another business lunch at an Italian restaurant near Lille with various men, where Kojfer had brought women. I told her to stop. Everyone was going to the toilets so I went to look. Strauss-Kahn was not present at any of these scenes in Lille. After evidence in court, Jade spoke to La Voix du Nord.
