A court hearing for the sexual-assault case against former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been delayed two weeks, until Aug. 1. 
 
 The Manhattan District Attorney's office and attorneys for Mr. Strauss-Kahn filed a letter with the Office of Court Administration on Monday saying both sides had agreed to the delay "to facilitate both parties continued investigation in this matter," the letter said. A court hearing had been scheduled for July 18. 
 
 Mr. Strauss-Kahn has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually assaulted a maid at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan in May. Prosecutors have raised questions about the credibility of the maid who has admitted lying to authorities about a range of matters, according to a court filing. 
 
 "We hope that during this time the district attorney will make the necessary decision to dismiss the case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn," said William W. Taylor, a lawyer for Mr. Strauss-Kahn. 
 
 Erin Duggan, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said the investigation is continuing and no decisions have been made about how to proceed in the case. 
 
 "At the end of its investigation, we expect the district attorney's office to stand by the victim and take her case to trial," said Kenneth Thompson, an attorney for the accuser. "Justice requires no less." 
 
 Meanwhile, a French lawyer for Mr. Strauss-Kahn said he had filed a complaint for slander against the French novelist who has accused Mr. Strauss-Kahn of attempted rape. The complaint was filed with Paris prosecutors on Friday, Henri Leclerc, the lawyer, said. 
 
 A lawyer for Tristane Banon, the novelist couldn't be reached to comment on the slander complaint. 
 
 Ms. Banon was interviewed by police on Monday as part of a preliminary probe Paris prosecutors launched into the attempted rape complaint the 32-year old woman has filed against Mr. Strauss-Kahn. 
 
 —David Gauthier-Villars contributed to this article. 
 
 Write to Dionne Searcey at dionne.searcey@wsj.com ||||| In France, the woman who says Dominique Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her in 2003 has been interviewed by police for the first time. 
 
 It is the first step in the preliminary inquiry sparked after Tristane Banon made the allegation last week. 
 
 Investigators will decide if there is enough evidence to proceed with a full trial. 
 
 The former head of the IMF is already fighting legal action in New York, where it is alleged he tried to rape a hotel chambermaid in May. 
 
 His lawyers in Paris say he will file a counter-claim against Banon for defamation. 
 
 Copyright © 2011 euronews
– Legal troubles for accused sex attacker Dominique Strauss-Kahn may be just beginning. French police are questioning the writer in France who is suing Strauss-Kahn for attempted rape. The interview will help investigators determine if there's enough evidence to go ahead with a full-scale French criminal case against the former head of the IMF for the alleged attack on Tristane Banon, reports EuroNews. Stateside, a hearing for his sexual-assault case has been delayed two weeks, from July 18 to Aug. 1, reports the Wall Street Journal. In a letter filed yesterday, Strauss-Kahn's lawyers and the DA's office explained that they had agreed to the delay "to facilitate both parties' continued investigation in this matter."