Strauss-Kahn criminal sexual assault case dropped

The decision ended a case that brought three months of sordid headlines on both sides of the Atlantic about a hotel maid who accused Strauss-Kahn of attempting to rape her in his luxury Manhattan hotel suite and forced her to perform oral sex.

Prosecutors took the rare step of requesting dismissal of the charges after they had discovered contradictions in the maid's story and said they now questioned her credibility.

Strauss-Kahn, looking drawn, left court smiling with his wife Anne Sinclair, saying in a statement that his life had been a "nightmare" and would have nothing more to say about the case.

"I look forward to returning to my country but I have a few small matters to take care of first. I will discuss this at greater length (later)," he told reporters later.