Alina finally gets all charges dropped -


RIGA (Reuters) - A Latvian court said Tuesday it would not take any further action against a girl who tried to hit Britain's Prince Charles in the face with flowers during his visit to the Baltic state in November.

Initially police had said Russian-speaking Alina Lebedeva could face charges of assaulting a foreign dignitary, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail, but Prince Charles himself made a plea for leniency.

In the end, charges of hooliganism were brought against the 16-year-old schoolgirl, but prosecutors later dropped these too. It was left up to the court to take any action against her.

Lebedeva was seen on television screens worldwide lurching at the heir to the British throne with a bunch of carnations in a protest over U.S.-led bombing in Afghanistan.

The incident drew an immediate apology from Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga. Lebedeva and her family later sent the prince letters of apology.