Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrived at court with his wife Anne Sinclair (left) in a six-car motorcade A New York judge has dismissed the sexual assault case against former IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
The move came at the request of prosecutors who cited doubts over the credibility of his accuser, hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo, 32.Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, was accused in May of attacking the African immigrant as she entered his hotel room to clean it.
The ruling means he is a free man, though he still faces a civil suit Ms Diallo filed this month.
The dismissal of the criminal case will take effect once Judge Michael Obus rules on an appeal against the move.
'Hurried sexual encounter' "I see no basis to deny," Judge Obus said.
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Dominique Strauss-KahnThese past two-and-a-half months have been a nightmare for me and my family”
Mr Strauss-Kahn arrived at the New York State Supreme Court in lower Manhattan on Tuesday in a six-car motorcade with his wife Anne Sinclair.
Outside, about two dozen placard-waving protesters denounced the collapse of the case, their cries audible from the packed courtroom on the 13th floor.Ms Diallo claimed Mr Strauss-Kahn had confronted her in his luxury hotel suite in the city on May 14 and forced her to perform oral sex.
Prosecutors said DNA evidence had found that a "hurried" sexual encounter did occur between the two, but it did not establish Ms Diallo's claim that it was non-consensual.
In a statement released by his legal team, Mr Strauss-Kahn said: "These past two-and-a-half months have been a nightmare for me and my family.
"I want to thank all the friends in France and in the United States who have believed in my innocence, and to the thousands of people who sent us their support personally and in writing.
"I am most deeply grateful to my wife and family who have gone through this ordeal with me."
He added: "We will have nothing further to say about this matter and we look forward to returning to our home and resuming something of a more normal life."
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