The Guinean immigrant Nafissatou Diallo who accused former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault has filed a civil case against the French politician over the alleged attack in his luxury Manhattan hotel room.

This gives Ms Diallo one more shot in court despite the collapse of criminal charges, largely due to problems with her own credibility.

But the single mother of a 15-year-old daughter could herself be in serious trouble.

Among the risks facing her is expulsion from the United States, following revelations that she lied on her asylum application. She also could face a counter-suit from Mr Strauss-Kahn for damaging his reputation. Or she could simply lose her job at the Sofitel where the whole sordid affair began May 14.

“Nafissatou Diallo is very upset but determined to press ahead and prove to the world that she was assaulted by Strauss-Kahn,” her lawyer Douglas Wigdor said.

On Wednesday, Mr Wigdor denounced suggestions that Ms Diallo might herself be sued as “intimidation tactics” by lawyers of Mr Strauss-Kahn, who was head of the International Monetary Fund and a likely candidate for President of France at the time of his arrest.

In another sign of her changing fortunes, the New York Post, which was initially highly critical of Mr Strauss-Kahn, said in an editorial that Ms Diallo is “no longer welcome” in the country.

“Nafissatou Diallo needs to be on an airplane back to her native Guinea as soon as the paperwork can be completed,” the tabloid said. “She has no one to blame but herself.”