Strauss-Kahn Sex Case Appears Headed to Dismissal

Doubts among prosecutors are the latest indication that charges against Mr. Strauss-Kahn are headed toward dismissal, officials familiar with the situation said.

Assistant District Attorney Joan Iluzzi-Orbon, one of the lead prosecutors of the case, said it was unclear whether the woman could be a viable witness. "It would have to be that I believed every word that came out of her mouth, and that I believe in the criminal aspect of what occurred," Ms. Iluzzi-Orbon said in an interview.

The false statements included the woman's whereabouts immediately after the alleged May 14 assault, an account of a previous gang rape and previously unreported admissions to prosecutors last week that she had earned money through a marketing business and had a second cell phone, according to officials and a court filing.

The woman maintains she was attacked, and there is physical evidence to support her account, prosecutors say. But given her false statements, prosecutors aren't certain whether her sexual contact with Mr. Strauss-Kahn was consensual or forced, officials said.

Prosecutors for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. haven't decided whether or not to drop the seven-count indictment against Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, who has pleaded not guilty. He was released from house arrest Friday after prosecutors disclosed credibility problems with the alleged victim, a maid at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan.

Mr. Strauss-Kahn's lawyers say this is the first step to vindication, and they will move to have the charges dismissed.