Los Angeles DA declines felony charge against Saudi royal

A Saudi prince has been arrested in Los Angeles on charges of sexual assault, false imprisonment and battery.

Police were initially called to the estate about a man acting irrationally, police Capt. Tina Nieto said.

On the 25 September Al Saud was later arrested and charged with a range of sexual offences including one of "forrced oral copulation" after neighbours reported seeing a woman who was crying and bleeding trying to scale a fence of the mansion.

Police had previously determined that Al-Saud did not have diplomatic immunity in the case, despite his royal status. CNN left a message at the Saudi Embassy in Washington but has as yet received no response.

However the Los Angeles District Attorney made a decision to drop felony charges against the 29-year-old due to lack of evidence.

The three women were working for the prince in his home over three days, during which time other servants, a retired Los Angeles police detective, and other security personnel were present, said Vadim Frish, an attorney representing the women.

The three women also allege they witnessed Al Saud having his penis stroked by a male worker, and that they were forced to witness the encounter.

When told to stop, the prince reportedly simply said: 'I am a prince and I do what I want.

There's still a chance Al-Saud could face misdemeanor charges, though.

From the beginning, Al-Saud has said he was innocent, said his attorney, Alan Jackson.

"The decision by the D.A.'s office not to file charges shows that the accuser's stories can not be substantiated", he said. "The sheik is very happy to put it behind him and move on with his life".

The documents also reveal another of the women claims to have been beaten by Al Saud when she went to pour him a drink while the other was told to get upstairs and wait for him. "Just the simple human aspect of it, he could've apologized ... for doing what he did".

When officers arrived at the home last month, they found a "party atmosphere" inside the compound, said LAPD Lt. John Jenal. Middle Easterners are in fact second to Chinese visitors when it comes to retail spending in Beverly Hills, according to Julie Wagner, chief executive of the city's Conference and Visitors Bureau.

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