Mr Strauss-Kahn was recently freed from house arrest in New York French prosecutors have started a preliminary inquiry into a writer's claim that former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her in 2003.Detectives have been assigned to investigate the complaint lodged by Tristane Banon.
She says Mr Strauss-Kahn assaulted her in a Paris flat as she attempted to conduct an interview with him.
Separately, he denies charges of sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid on 14 May.
Mr Strauss-Kahn was recently freed from house arrest in the US city after the credibility of his accuser's evidence came into question.
It was shortly after Mr Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York that Ms Banon came forward to say that he had tried to assault her eight years ago.
He responded by saying he would sue Ms Banon for making false statements.
Under French law, the charge of attempted rape carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail. However, the prosecutors' inquiry may not lead to formal charges.
'Wrestled'Ms Banon - the god-daughter of Mr Strauss-Kahn's second wife, Brigitte Guillemette - has claimed that during the interview in 2003, Mr Strauss-Kahn said he would only speak to her if she held his hand.
Continue reading the main story 2006: Publication of Sexus Politicus, book by Christophe Deloire and Christophe Dubois, with chapter on Mr Strauss-Kahn and his tendency of "seduction to the point of obsession"2008: Mr Strauss-Kahn admits an affair with IMF colleague; he admits an "error of judgement"2011: Mr Strauss-Kahn arrested on 14 May in New York, accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid 16 May: Writer Tristane Banon comes forward to say Mr Strauss-Kahn tried to assault her in an interview nearly a decade before1 July: Mr Strauss-Kahn freed without bail from New York house arrestAccording to her version of events, she eventually had to fight him off as they wrestled on the floor and he undid her bra and pulled open her jeans."When I realised that he really wanted to rape me, I started kicking him with my boots. I was terrified," she said in an interview published in French weekly L'Express.
She said she had not pursued the case eight years ago because at the time, "everyone told me it would never succeed".
But she said that following the allegations in New York there was "perhaps a chance to finally be listened to".
"If I want one day to put an end to this hell that has lasted eight years, it needs to be tried in court," she added.
"I'm well aware that in these kinds of cases, where it's one person's word against another - without even mentioning people who are that powerful - suspects are often released."
Mr Strauss-Kahn had been a leading contender to be the French Socialist Party's presidential candidate before his arrest in May.
Ms Banon's mother, Anne Mansouret, herself a politician from Mr Strauss-Kahn's centre-left Socialist Party, said she had persuaded her daughter not to file a complaint at the time of the alleged incident.
But Ms Mansouret has said she is "revolted" by the gleeful reaction of many men in France to news the case in New York might fail.
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