The former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been cleared of charges that he helped organise sex parties with prostitutes.
The 66-year-old was put on trial in Lille, northern France, along with 13 other defendants for "aggravated pimping".
The accusations related to events at the Carlton Hotel in Lille, which ended in “carnage with a heap of mattresses on the floor”, according to witnesses.
Prostitution is not illegal in France, but procuring women for sex is. Strauss-Kahn faced up to 10 years in prison and a fine of more than a million pounds if convicted.
The economist always said he was not aware that some of the women at the parties were prostitutes and defended his sex life, details of which were central to the trial.
In a letter read out in court, Strauss-Kahn insisted he hadn't committed any crime and said he simply enjoyed a “libertine” sex life.
The decision to acquit the former government minister is in line with the view of the state prosecutor, who in February called for an acquittal because of a lack of proof.
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The court ruling comes four years after Strauss-Kahn was accused of sexual assault by a New York hotel maid.
The case, which was settled out of court, put an end to Strauss-Kahn's ambitions to become president of France.
Additional reporting by Reuters
