From the judge’s bench to the witness stand, women are at the center of a sex trial for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi starting today that has breathed new life into Italy’s feminist movement.
The trial revolves around allegations that Berlusconi paid for sex with an underage prostitute — just 17 at the time — and then committed abuse of office by getting her released from police custody in a separate incident.
The Moroccan girl, Karima El Mahroug — stage name “Ruby the Heart Stealer” — was questioned four times last year by prosecutors in Milan and made compromising statements about parties held at Berlusconi’s residence.
One of the organizers of the soirees was Nicole Minetti, a 25-year-old brunette and Berlusconi confidante who is accused in a separate case of incitement to prostitution of a minor and more than 30 other young women.
Considered by Milan prosecutors as a sort of madam working for 74-year-old Berlusconi, Minetti has had a meteoric career starting from when she was a dental hygienist and a starlet on one of Berlusconi’s television channels.
Last year she became a local councilor from Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party in Lombardy — Italy’s wealthiest region. She has even confided to La Repubblica newspaper that she would like to be foreign minister one day.
That’s not an unlikely career move in Italy: Italian Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna was also once a show girl on one of the Berlusconi-owned channels.
The scandals have given Italy’s feminist movement a boost — with help from well-known personalities like Italian film directors Cristina and Francesca Comencini.
About 1 million people took part in rallies called by women’s groups across Italy in February to protest what they said was a political system that treats women as objects. Many participants voiced outrage against Berlusconi.
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