Strauss-Kahn accuser Tristane Banon helps shape new French rape law

Ten years after the former IMF chief’s fall from political grace, Banon celebrates new legislation on ages of consent

Kim Willsher
Fri 26 Mar 2021 05.00 GMT

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Back in France, the spotlight fell on a young journalist and writer: Tristane Banon, who had also accused DSK, as he was known, of attempted rape years before.

As the life of DSK’s American accuser, Guinean immigrant Nafissatou Diallo was picked over by US prosecutors, the French media meanwhile was busy deconstructing Banon. She was, according to various reports, a raging fantasist, a liar, a drinker, drug-taker and hysterical opportunist who “liked to party”, with all the loaded subtext inherent when the three words are aimed at a young woman.

Prosecutors dropped charges against Strauss-Kahn in the US, citing issues in the complainant’s credibility and inconclusive physical evidence. Charges were also dropped in France, where prosecutors stated there was a lack of evidence of attempted rape.

Banon, exhausted by the trashing of her reputation, could have crawled under a stone and disappeared. Instead, she came out fighting.

Last week, she was celebrating after helping to drive through new legislation to protect children and teenagers from sexual assault when French MPs unanimously passed a draft bill establishing 15 as an age of “non-consent” under which no minor can be presumed to have agreed to sex with someone five or more years older. In cases of incest, the age of non-consent will be set at 18.

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