italy's highest court has confirmed an acquittal for former prime minister silvio  berlusconi on charges of abuse of office and paying for sex with  a minor, giving him a boost as he tries to hold on to his  role as a conservative leader at the first trial in 2013, berlusconi, 78, was convicted  and sentenced to seven years in prison but that ruling was  overturned by an appeals court in milan that acquitted him last  year the rome court, in a ruling that is now definitive, rejected  an appeal by milan prosecutors to overturn the acquittal and to  hold a new trial italy's highest court has confirmed an acquittal for former prime minister silvioberlusconi on charges of abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor  berlusconi was accused of paying for sex with former teenage nightclub dancer kharima el mahroug, known by her stage name'ruby the heartstealer' (pictured) berlusconi was accused of paying for sex with former teenage  nightclub dancer kharima el mahroug, known by her stage name  'ruby the heartstealer', during 'bunga bunga' erotic parties at  his palatial home near milan when he was prime minister in 2010 he was also charged with abusing his authority to get el  mahroug, who was 17 at the time, released from police custody  over unrelated theft accusations the trial was the most sensational berlusconi faced it  mesmerised italy with its lurid accounts of sex parties a  stream of would be starlets on his tv channels took the stand as  witnesses tuesday's ruling came at a time when the conservative leader  is struggling to hold together his forza italia party and  maintain a front line role in italian politics berlusconi was also charged with abusing his authority to get el mahroug, who was 17 at the time, released from police custody over  theft accusations  last month berlusconi pulled out of a pact with prime  minister renzi over reform of italy's voting system and  political apparatus, complaining that renzi had excluded him  from the choice of who should become the new head of state on tuesday forza italia voted against renzi's political  reforms in the chamber of deputies, but 18 party deputies wrote  a public letter of dissent they lamented a lack of internal  party democracy and said they had only obeyed berlusconi's  instructions out of loyalty to their leader forza italia has steadily lost support since berlusconi was  convicted for tax fraud in 2013 as a result of that sentence he  lost his seat in the senate and was barred from holding any  public office according to most polls the party now has only 13 to 14 per cent  of the vote that puts it behind renzi's democratic party, the  anti establishment 5 star movement and the anti immigrant  northern league whose leader matteo salvini seems to be  eclipsing berlusconi as the prominent figure on the italian  right
italy silvio berlusconi heartstealer kharima el mahroug
italy's highest court confirms acquittal for former pm silvio berlusconi . he was charged with abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor . berlusconi was accused of paying for sex with 'ruby the heartstealer'. she's a former teenage nightclub dancer, real name kharima el mahroug . he was said to have had sex with her during 'bunga bunga' erotic parties 