tonight on "nightline," going public. in a major broadcast exclusive, the hotel maid who is accusing top international banknk dominique strauss-kahn of sexual assault tells the whole story of what she says happened inside his hotel room for the first time. >> he was holding my head like this. >> he said, she said. questions about her credibility. did she lie to prosecutors? we ask her. >> i'm telling the truth. i'm telling the truth. >> out of the shadows. the accuser's story. a special edition of "nightline" starts right now. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city,

this is "nightline," july 26th, 2011. good evening, i'm terry moran. and tonight, we're going to bring you a major broadcast exclusive on a scandal that has rocked the globe. a hotel maid in new york city accuses a top banker, dominique strauss-kahn, of sexual assault. but the maid's story, her whole story, in her own words, has not come out until now. she has come forward, out of the shadows, to speak. and joining us now is abc's robin roberts, who's got the compelling first television interview with the maid. for two months she held her silence. she spoke with you, robin. this is the voice that has been missing from this case, really, in public. what did you make of her? >> well, she wants a jury to find out what they make of her, not a reporter, not the public. and she's concerned that that won't happen, and that's part of the reason she came forward, terry. she wawaed to put a face to the story. and as prosecutors are still

weighing whether or not to proceed with this case, she's coming forward to give her side of the story of what really happened in room 2806. >> this defendant is charged with criminal sexual act in the first degree. attempted rape in the first degree. >> reporter: he was one of the most powerful men in the world. a french millionaire many times over. a jet-setter with homes on three continents. and considered a contender for the french presidency. he was headed home to paris when new york city authorities boarded his flight here at kennedy airport and arrested him on sex crime charges. >> he sexually assaulted her and attempted to forcibly rape her. >> reporter: they did it because an immigrant hotel maid in one of the most luxurious hotels in manhattan accused him of trying to rape her. now dominique strauss-kahn, at the time the powerful head of the international monetary fund, stood before a new york city judge in handcuffs. the image was televised all over the world. but no one has seen or heard from his accuser. until now. her name is nafi diallo.

an immigrant from guinea in west africa. a 32-year-old widow and mother of a teenage daughter, who was working as a maid at the sofitel hotel. for a woman who cannot read or write it was, as she says, the best job she's ever had. >> i loved the job. i know that if i work there e can -- i can help myself and my daughter. we're going to have a good life with that job. i was very happy to have the job. >> reporter: that is, until may 14th. diallo says it was a typical afternoon. until she entered the $3,000-a-night suite where strauss-kahn was staying. >> so you went into 2806 not thinking anybody was there because of what the room service person told you. >> yeah, he told me nobody there. and i say, "housekeeping, hello," because the room is very big. i have to say it loud. i said like three times, "housekeeping, hello, is anyone in," three times, nobody say

anything. >> reporter: expecting an empty room, diallo was shocked when she says strauss-kahn suddenly appeared, naked. >> i saw a naked man come to me. he come naked, i was like, oh, my god, i'm so sorry. i'm so sorry. that was so fast, i was like, i'm so sorry. i turned my head. he come to me and grab my breasts, "no, you don't have to be sorry." i say, i say stop, i don't want to lose my job. and he push me into the bedroom and he pulled the door back and he said, "you're beautiful." i said, "stop, stop," and then he push me, he push me to bed, was right there, he push me to the bed, he push me like this to the bed. i was sitting like this. and he -- he tried to put his penis in my mouth.

and i closed my lips like this, i turned my head, i push him, and i get up. when i get up, and he keep pushing me everywhere, like, pushing me to the hallway, back to the hallway, keep pushing me. >> reporter: and what happens as he's pushing you down the hall, nafi? >> i have dress on. he pull my dress up.p. he put -- he put his hand between my legs. he grab me so hard. he grab me so hard and -- and i -- i pull his hand, i pull his hand up like this. he push me like this to the floor. he push me. i was like this to the floor. i was -- he pulled my hand. i was like this and the wall was behind me, and it was too tight. i can't -- i cannot get up. i was in bad position. i cannot get up. he was holding my head so tight, like this.

he was holding my head, and i close -- i cannot even breathe. he close to me. he was moving. >> reporter: was he saying anything else to you? >> he said, "suck my dick." he said, "suck my dick." i cannot say nothing because -- he keep doing it. and then he finish on my mouth and he -- he back up and then i was like this. the outside is like this. and i get up. i was spitting. i spit there, and i run. i was so sad. i was so -- i don't know what to do. i was so scared. >> reporter: did he say anything to you after? did he -- >> he don't say nothing. he don't say nothing. a few minute, i see him, i don't

know how he got dressed so fast. i see him with luggage. i see him going into the elevator. he look at me like this, and he don't say anything. >> reporter: strauss-kahn, who has denied these allegations, did leave the hotel at 12:28 that day to have lunch with his daughter before catching a flight to paris. what did you do after, when you saw, after you saw him leave -- >> i don't knonowhat to do, i don't know who to tell, i don't know what to do. >> reporter: diallo says a few minutes later her supervisor walked by. >> she was like, nafi, what happened to you today? tell me. what happened? and i have to tell her. and i tell her what happened and she was like -- she say, this guest is v.i.p. guest, well, i don't care who he is. what he do is wrong. >> reporter: when hotel security arrived, they asked diallo what she wanted to do. >> i said, look, i don't know nothing. whatever you think is that's what we supposededo do, do that.

>> reporter: they called the police, who had strauss-kahn pulled off his flight to paris just before it was about to take off. >> under american law these are extremely serious charges. >> reporter: but suddenly, everything fell apart as questions about diallo's credibility arose. we try to get to the bottom of it. when we come back. >> are you a prostitute? purina cat chow helps you well-being. we're all striving for it. nurture it in your cat with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources. purina cat chow. share a better life.

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love how you feelr dior you money back. shame on you! shame on you! >> reporter: it was a s sex scandal that had taken on international implications.

one of the most powerful men in the world, dominique strauss-kahn, accused of trying to rape a hotel maid. forced to resign from his post at the international monetary fund. and the maid who had accused him of attempted rape was in hiding. but she's come out now, because even prosecutors are questioning her story. why should we believe you? >> because i'm telling the truth. i'm telling the truth. >> reporter: but in a letter sent to strauss-kahn's defense lawyers, prosecutors disclosed that diallo had not been completely truthful with them, and the defense pounced. >> we believed from the beginning that this case was not what it appeared to be. >> reporter: and diallo's personal attorney lashed out at prosecutors for backing down. >> it is a fact that the victim here made some mistakes, but that doesn't mean she's not a rape victim. >> reporter: but questions about diallo's credibility lingered, including questions about a phone call the day after the attack. there was this phone call, a convicted drug dealer, who

called you the day after the attack, and it's been reported that some of the things that were said, that you said something to the effect of don't worry, i know what i'm doing, this guy has a lot of money. did you ever say anything like this? >> i never said this guy have a lot of money, i know what i'm doing. i never said that. never said that. i used the word "i know what i'm doing" when he asked me about wyers. >> reporter: and the person you're talking to, the person that called you, a convicted drug felon, is he a friend? a boboyfriend? a relative? what is your relationship with this man? >> he was my friend. he was my friend. and i never, ever know he was a drug dealer. >> reporter: because there are also reports that he and others deposited quite a bit of money

in your account. $100,000 in your account. were you aware of that, nafi? >> i give him my account, but i don't know about that much money he put in my account. i don't know that. >> reporter: the prosecution also says she lied on her asylum application, falsely claiming she was gang raped for political reasons in her home country. >> and i thank god -- >> reporter: diallo says she was raped but admits embellishing her story for her application. >> i had made a mistake on my asylum papers because i love this country. i love to be here. >> reporter: perhaps most damaging to her credibility were these headlines blasted on the front page of "the new york post," accusing her of being a prostitute. she has filed a libel suit against the paper. >> one of the reasons why i have to come out, i have to come out and show the world i'm not a prostitute. i never been, i never going to

be. i want to show that to people. >> reporter: you want to make it clear, because the question many people are asking, are you a prostitute? >> i'm not. and i never been called that since i was born. >> reporter: for his part, strauss-kahn is hitting back hard. in a statement his attorney told abc news, "ms. diallo is the first in history to conduct a media campaign to persuade a prosecutor to pursue charges against a person from whom she wants money." the district attorney's office have said they have not decided if they will move forward with the case. there are a lot of people that are feeling it could be dropped. >> the district attorney should stand by this victim. because if she's abandoned, then whwh would that say to women in the future? the standard can't be that you have to live a pristine life. the standard has to be that you were raped. >> i want justice.

i want him to go to jail. i want him to know there is some place you cannot use your money. you cannot use your power when you do something like this. >> robob, this is such an victim of a sexual assault going public. and one thing people want to know, is she in this for the money? >> reporter: and that is the number one question i've been asked all day today about that. when you think of this woman, coming from m st africa, guinea, making about $45,000 as a hotel maid. can't read or write. she feels that she's living a good life. she has benefits in that. and the thing that she kept saying over and over in the interview to me, terry, is i didn't want to lose my job, i didn't want to lose my job, you was worried about losing my job, that the guests would complain or something like that. so i'm not sure if money is a motivator here. but her attorneys are about to file a civil suit which, again, makes people believe could it

possibly be about money. >> and it means the case will go forward no matter what the district attorney does. robin, just a fascinating interview. a compelling international story. >> thank you, terry. and just ahead, given all that's happened, how strong is the legal case against strauss-kahn now? we're going to talk with abc's dan abrams about how all this is likely to play out in court. ) man: between making the "rent and somebody constantly ownloading musicals ontitun. woman: i love musicals. man: ...it was getting tight around here. so to save money, i got us a roommate... man: ...who just happens to be into musicals.

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and welcome back to our special broadcast on the sexual assault case against top international banker dominique strauss-kahn. joining me now to talk to about the case, abc's legal analyst dan abrams. dan, this is such an extraordinary thing we've seen tonight. the alleged victim of a sexual assault case going public in an interview before the trial. is that a good idea? >> reporter: if the criminal case is moving forward, it's a terrible idea. prosecutors would have begged a complaining witness like this, please don't do it. don't go public. don't put another statement on the record. at makes this different, of course, is thahathe prosecutor and the complaining witness in this case appear to be at odds. the prosecution has made it pretty clear that they have real questions about her credibility, and this is clearly an effort on her part to shame the prosecutors intotooving forward with the case. >> public pressure on the prosecutor. on the other hand, as you point out, if what she's told robin

roberts conflicts at all with what she told the police, her employers, friends, that's a party on cross-examination. >> well, and the district attorney has already said that they think not only did she lie on her tax forms, not only did she lie on her asylum application, she lied about a previous rape. they believe she lied in the grand jury. and she lied to them. so it is hard to imagine that the prosecutors move forward with the case at this time. and this does become another piece of ammunition for the defense to point out discrepancies in her account. >> so given all that, where is this c ce going? >> now the prosecutors have to decide, do we move forward? is it worth taking the case where the chances of winning are pretty slim? even if they do move forward with the case. with that said, even if the prosecutors don't move forward, she'll still get either her day in court or her day to work out some sort of agreement. why? because there's a civil case. people like to dismiss civil cases.

oh, it's just about the money. it's just about dollars. well, that's the way i ithis country we deal with disputes between two individuals. when two people are fighting, they go to court in a civil case and it is resolved very often by paying money damages. >> and finally and briefly, there could be a criminal case in france where another woman has accused strauss-kahn of sexual assault. >> that's going to have to be another case that dominique strauss-kahn's defense team looks at when they're looking at all of the legal issues here. it's not just about what's happening in the united states. it's not just about the criminal and civil. it's also about whwh's happening in france. so he's going to have to balance all of these legal issues at once. which is tricky. >> and his political career, or what's left of it. >> absolutely. >> dan, thanks very much. and thank you for watching abc news. we hope you tune in for "good morning america" and tomorrow night be sure to watch our "primetime nightline" celebrity