Seven year sentence for Berlusconi in Rubygate trial

Updated June 25, 2013 08:45:00

A Milan court has handed down a seven-year jail sentence and ban from public office to the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi after finding him guilty of having paid an underage prostitute for sex at private parties in his home, and abusing his powers of office to intervene with police on her behalf. Mr Berlusconi denies the charges and is appealing the verdict.

Source: AM | Duration: 2min 57sec

Topics: prisons-and-punishment, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, sexual-offences, italy


TONY EASTLEY: The so-called Rubygate trial, which has taken two years in Italy, has ended with a seven year jail sentence and lifetime ban from public office for Silvio Berlusconi.

A Milan court found the former prime minister had paid for sex with an underage prostitute and abused his powers of office by intervening with police on her behalf.

Mr Berlusconi has always denied the charges.

Europe correspondent, Barbara Miller, reports.

BARBARA MILLER: It was the trial that brought the term 'bunga-bunga party' to the world. Prosecutors allege these were wild gatherings at Silvio Berlusconi's villa, where women danced, stripped and provided the then prime minister with sexual favours in return for payment.

One of these women was alleged to be Karima el-Mahroug, a nightclub dancer who was 17 and therefore under the legal age for prostitution at the time.

Karima el-Mahroug, also known by her stage name Ruby the Heart Stealer, and Mr Berlusconi have always denied they had sex. But a Milan court made up of three female judges found differently.

(Sound of judge speaking)

BARBARA MILLER: The court found Silvio Berlusconi guilty of paying for sex with Karima el-Mahroug and of abusing his powers of office to get her released from police custody, after she was arrested on a petty theft charge.

MILAN JUDGE (translation): And he's sentenced to seven years in jail and to pay for the expenses.

BARBARA MILLER: Seven years is a harsher sentence than the prosecution had asked for.

Mr Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini says the verdict is a joke.

NICCOLO GHEDINI (translation): This is not a sentence that is political or apolitical. It is a sentence that is completely out of reality and unrelated to the evidence that emerged during the trial.

BARBARA MILLER: The appeals process for the case could take several years, meaning there's no immediate threat to Italy's fragile coalition government, which includes Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party.

But a verdict is due later this year on a final appeal in another case, in which Mr Berlusconi's been sentenced to a five year ban on public office after being found guilty of tax evasion.

James Walston is professor of International Relations at the American University of Rome.

JAMES WALSTON: In the tax evasion, tax fraud case, it seems to be very likely that his sentenced will be confirmed, which we're expecting some time around Christmas. The ban on public office is the really serious problem for Berlusconi.

BARBARA MILLER: Do you think in a way that all the attention is focusing on the wrong trial and that it's this media-set trial that could actually bring Berlusconi down?

JAMES WALSTON: It is very much the wrong trial. This is obviously, literally, the sexier story, but it is much less serious than the media-set trial, which could be the end of his public career.

BARBARA MILLER: The 76-year-old is unlikely to ever have to spend time behind bars because of his advanced age.

This is Barbara Miller reporting for AM.