Charles Dickens Imene Oliha, was released by NYPD officers after they were informed of his diplomatic immunity that comes from his role at the United Nations - Courtesy

South Sudan diplomat accused raping a woman in New York has been released from jail because he has full diplomatic immunity, the New York Daily has reported.

Charles Dickens Imene Oliha, 46, a career diplomat for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in South Sudan was arrested over the weekend on Sunday following an alleged sexual assault in upper Manhattan.

The alleged victim reported to the NYPD at 11 p.m. Sunday that a man opened her building’s front door and followed her into her Upper Manhattan apartment at about noon that day and raped her twice, police sources said.

She had been out walking her neighbor’s dog when a man said he wanted to come to her apartment.

The woman told him she had no interest but he followed her into her home and raped her, she told police, sources said.

She reported the attack a few hours later after a friend persuaded her to do so, sources said.

The woman was taken to New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center in Washington Heights, near where she lives, to be evaluated.

Charles Oliha was later taken into custody by police but he invoked his diplomatic status, which the NYPD’s Intelligence Bureau confirmed was valid, sources said.

After a discussion with police lawyers, the diplomat, who is assigned to his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was released at about 5 a.m. Monday.

The deputy permanent representative for the embassy of South Sudan, Cecilia Adeng told the media they will report the matter to the government although she said they were ‘not aware’ of alleged crimes.

“This is not something that’s tolerable at all. We’ll be reporting to our headquarters and seeing what’s going on.”

It was not immediately clear what legal steps the city might consider taking.

However, the New York Police Deputy Commissioner Julian Phillips said the matter remains an ongoing investigation.