Alleged Victim Defends Senator in Court

New York, NY —

The woman state senator Hiram Monserrate is accused of attacking is staunchly defending him in court. WNYC's Ailsa Chang has more on yesterday's testimony.

REPORTER: Karla Giraldo praised Monserrate for quickly taking her to the hospital the December night her face was cut with glass. "Thanks to him," she said, "I'm all right, and my face is all right." The prosecutor later asked her, "Clearly, you'll do anything to help him, right?" Giraldo responded that she wasn't "helping" the state senator. She was just telling the truth, and then, she repeated her mantra of the day: "It was an accident." Giraldo denies telling anyone she was cut intentionally, as a doctor testified earlier. She also denies Monserrate dragged her out of his apartment building.

During nearly five hours of testimony through a Spanish interpreter, she accused lead prosecutor, Scott Fessler, of trying to confuse her on the stand and prying into her privacy. At one point, she wagged her finger at him.

At the end of her testimony, Giraldo confirmed that she still loves Monserrate and would still be with him, if there wasn't a 'stay away' order keeping the couple apart. For WNYC, I'm Ailsa Chang.