The former IMF chief and French minister, whose sex life and was laid bare for all to see during his trial on charges of pimping in 2015, has been ordered by a civil court to hand over €10,000 to the charity Mouvement du Nid.

DSK was acquitted of aggravated pimping by the criminal court in Lille last year and the court dismissed the charges that he should pay compensation. But the charity that fights against prostitution pushed ahead with a civil case against the disgraced former politician.

“It’s a clear and compelling judgement,” said the lawyer for the Mouvement du Nid, who said judges recognized the fault of the buyer of sex as well as the prostitute.

“The judgement recognizes the existence of a system, apart from the criminal offense of pimping, and sees the client as an actor in part of this system.

Several others, who had faced trial along with DSK, were also ordered to pay several thousands of euros of damages to the group, totalling €20,000. 

DSK’s defence had centred on his claim that he had no idea the women at the so-called Libertine parties were prostitutes.

Earlier this year French lawmakers voted through a landmark bill that changed the law around prostitution so that clients would now be fined if they are caught paying for sex rather than the prostitutes.