Italian former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sex conviction overturned

Italian former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has won an appeal against his conviction for paying for sex with an underage prostitute

Prosecutors can still challenge the acquittal at the highest criminal court, the Court of Cassation

 

Silvio Berlusconi's 7-year prison sentence has now been thrown out by judges in Milan, in the so-called "Ruby" case

Last year a court found that he had paid for sex with a 17-year-old nightclub dancer, Karima El-Mahroug, known as "Ruby the Heartstealer"

In the Ruby case both Berlusconi and Ms El-Mahroug denied having had sex

During the trial reports emerged of raunchy "bunga-bunga" parties at his private villa attended by showgirls. Some of the female guests however described them as "elegant dinner parties".

Silvio Berlusconi was also acquitted of a charge that he abused his prime ministerial powers by pressuring the police to free Ms El-Mahroug when she was in custody