Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation has ordered a new appeal-level trial in the Ruby ter case. This is one of several cases linked to alleged “bunga bunga” parties held by the late ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi at his Arcore home near Milan.
Around 20 people, including some of the women who attended the parties, now face a retrial on charges of corruption in judicial acts. Among the defendants is Karima El Mahroug, known as Ruby Heartstealer, whom Berlusconi allegedly paid for sex before she turned 18 in 2010.
Berlusconi was acquitted in the main Ruby case because there was no proof he knew El Mahroug was underage. The Ruby ter case centres on accusations that Berlusconi bribed witnesses to claim the parties were innocent gatherings.
Initially, all defendants, including Berlusconi, were acquitted on a technicality. However, the Supreme Court ruled that, while the perjury charges have expired due to the statute of limitations, the corruption charges remain valid.
El Mahroug and other women, nicknamed ‘Olgettine’ after the Milan street Via Olgettina where their luxury flats are located, admitted to receiving money and apartments from Berlusconi. They have maintained he acted out of generosity and later compensated them for reputational harm caused by the trials.
