Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives for a legal hearing/AFP
One of Berlusconi’s lawyers told AFP earlier that the former prime minister would make a statement to the court. Defendants in Italy have the right to make a statement at any point in their trials without facing cross-examination.
Berlusconi is accused of having sex with Moroccan-born exotic dancer Karima El-Mahroug, better known as “Ruby the Heart Stealer”, when she was 17.
He is also charged with abusing his position as prime minister by pressuring police to release her when she was arrested for petty theft in May 2010.
The charge of exploiting an underage prostitute in Italy carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and abuse of power up to 12 years.
The trial began in April 2011 and was the latest in a series of scandals that helped precipitate Berlusconi’s downfall in November last year.
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