AS Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the director of the International Monetary Fund, spent his first full day in jail on Rikers Island, the hotel housekeeper who accused him of sexual assault was struggling with what her lawyer said was a life upended by the case.
The woman, 32, a widowed immigrant from Guinea who was granted asylum seven years ago, has not been publicly identified by the authorities in New York and has made no public statements about what prosecutors say was an attack by Strauss-Kahn, 62, as she prepared to clean his hotel room on Saturday.
But her lawyer said she had been unable to return to her job at the Sofitel New York or to her home, as both had attracted swarms of international news media. Her teenage daughter has been forced to stay with a friend.
Strauss-Kahn's lawyers, who have promised a "vigorous" defense, suggested at a bail hearing on Monday that he may have had a consensual sexual encounter with the alleged victim.
Lawyer Ben Brafman said in court that the evidence "will not be consistent with a forcible encounter."
Prosecutors, however, say they have physical evidence indicating attempted rape, including a doctor's exam made immediately after the incident.
A grand jury is due to convene this week to decide whether there is enough evidence in the accusations to proceed to trial.
Such proceedings are secret, and the Manhattan District Attorney's office would not comment on progress.
The 32-year-old woman has not been identified, and has not spoken publicly about the alleged incident, but Shapiro told NBC that she is ready to fully cooperate with prosecutors in building the court case against Strauss-Kahn.
"She is prepared to do whatever she is asked to do, which is to cooperate with the New York City police department, the district attorney's office -- hours and hours of involvement," Shapiro said.
"She doesn't have an agenda. She's doing this because she believes it is her responsibility to do so, and she will do that."
Strauss-Kahn is accused of sexually assaulting the woman, a maid who entered his room at the posh Sofitel Hotel believing it was empty.
He is obviously not in a position to run the IMF," Mr Geithner said.
"It is important that the board of the IMF formally put in place for an interim period someone to act as managing director."
It is the first time that a top official from President Barack Obama's administration has publicly spoken about the impact of Mr Strauss-Kahn's alleged sexual assault.
However, Mr Geithner refused to comment on the case or the details of the charges against Mr Strauss-Kahn.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Mr Strauss-Kahn was in a "very difficult position" and it was "important that the IMF... is able to run effectively".
The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Washington says that with the Americans seemingly distancing themselves from Mr Strauss-Kahn and some European figures saying similar things, there appears to be a groundswell of opinion that would like to see him go.
Since Mr Strauss-Kahn's arrest last Saturday, his deputy John Lipsky has been serving as acting managing director of the global lending agency.
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