A UN diplomat was arrested on Sunday on accusations of raping his neighbor but was later released by police due to diplomatic immunity. A career diplomat for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Charles Dickens Imene Oliha, 46, was arrested for his alleged sexual assault of a woman inside her apartment.
According to the New York Post, Oliha was arrested on suspicion of rape and taken in for questioning, but later informed detectives from the special victims unit of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) of his diplomatic status. Authorities said that investigators confirmed his immunity and quickly released Oliha without any formal charges.
Police reports say the victim was apparently Oliha’s neighbor. She told police that she was walking a neighbor's dog around noon time when Oliha approached her while she was in the lobby. The UN official supposedly told her that he was going to follow her to her room, to which she abruptly replied, “No, you’re not.” As the woman was returning to her apartment and opened her door, Oliha allegedly forced his way in and pinned her to a wall, then proceeded to violate her with a condom on, then again on the couch, but this time without one. The victim was left in shock by the supposed attack and fell asleep. She later called the police after a friend convinced her to make a report.
The victim was later taken to Columbia University Medical Center for treatment. Oliha was arrested roughly 12 hours after the attack but was later cut loose by police due to his diplomatic immunity. Police said that the supposed rape took place in the Wadsworth Terrace in Fort George, the same apartment where Oliha and the victim live.
This was not the first case that involves a diplomat being cut loose for crimes committed on U.S. soil due to diplomatic immunity. According to police sources, Martiniano Sosa, the husband of an Argentine diplomat, was let go after allegedly assaulting a United Nations worker who beat his victim to a pulp. During a boozy party in 2018 at the Cuban embassy, Sosa allegedly splashed water at the victim, later slugging him in the face. Sources say that Sosa was later released by authorities under the diplomatic immunity of his wife and faced no criminal charges, however, it is unclear if Sosa faced any repercussions for the incident.
