The Italian Supreme Court's decision breathes new life into the infamous "Bunga Bunga" scandal, reigniting legal battles for 21 women previously acquitted of covering up events involving former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Italian Supreme Court Revives "Bunga Bunga" Scandal Trials
Italian Supreme Court Revives "Bunga Bunga" Scandal Trials
In a startling twist, Italy's highest court has overturned acquittals, allowing retrials for 21 women linked to the notorious "Bunga Bunga" scandal.
Italy’s Supreme Court has reignited the controversial "Bunga Bunga" scandal by overturning a lower court’s acquittals of 21 women accused of assisting in a cover-up of notorious parties hosted by Italy’s former Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. These women, initially cleared, now face a retrial, marking a significant twist in a case that has gripped the nation for over a decade. Berlusconi, who passed away last year, had been at the center of the scandal, which first grabbed international headlines in 2010 over allegations of parties involving underage women at his villa near Milan.
The Supreme Court's decision emerged Monday, leaving the women facing another legal struggle. The controversy originally stemmed from allegations of Berlusconi paying for sex with a 17-year-old at one of these parties and subsequent obstruction of justice claims. Berlusconi had been convicted but later acquitted due to insufficient evidence of his knowledge about the woman's age. Meanwhile, associates were found guilty of facilitating these lavish gatherings.
This recent ruling overturns the procedural acquittals granted by a Milan court, at the urging of prosecutors appealing the verdict. Though the Supreme Court has not clarified its rationale, the case now returns to an appeals court in Milan, without a set date for proceedings. The Times has yet to receive comments from the accused women, some of whom have acknowledged financial transactions with Berlusconi, denying these were meant to purchase their silence.
The latest developments illustrate the enduring impact of Berlusconi's legacy in Italy, long after his death, as his historical shadow continues to cast a pall over the nation’s judicial landscape.
The Supreme Court's decision emerged Monday, leaving the women facing another legal struggle. The controversy originally stemmed from allegations of Berlusconi paying for sex with a 17-year-old at one of these parties and subsequent obstruction of justice claims. Berlusconi had been convicted but later acquitted due to insufficient evidence of his knowledge about the woman's age. Meanwhile, associates were found guilty of facilitating these lavish gatherings.
This recent ruling overturns the procedural acquittals granted by a Milan court, at the urging of prosecutors appealing the verdict. Though the Supreme Court has not clarified its rationale, the case now returns to an appeals court in Milan, without a set date for proceedings. The Times has yet to receive comments from the accused women, some of whom have acknowledged financial transactions with Berlusconi, denying these were meant to purchase their silence.
The latest developments illustrate the enduring impact of Berlusconi's legacy in Italy, long after his death, as his historical shadow continues to cast a pall over the nation’s judicial landscape.
