By Emma Bubola
After a lengthy span of 14 years, the 21 women implicated in the alleged cover-up of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s nocturnal revelries had anticipated the conclusion of their protracted legal journey regarding the “Bunga Bunga” scandal.
However, the Supreme Court of Italy nullified their acquittals, deciding on Monday that the women are eligible for a retrial, as stated by the chief prosecutor involved — a setback for the defendants and a reflection of the enduring influence of Berlusconi, who passed away last year, over Italy.
The ruling paves the way for yet another courtroom battle tied to a scandal that captivated Italy and ignited a global tabloid uproar back in 2010, when allegations surfaced regarding the extravagant parties Berlusconi was hosting at his residence close to Milan.
In his initial trial, Berlusconi faced allegations of engaging in sexual acts with a 17-year-old attendee of one such party and misusing his position to conceal the incident. Both the young woman and Berlusconi denied these claims. Initially found guilty, Berlusconi was subsequently acquitted due to insufficient evidence indicating he knew that the girl was underage. During the second trial, some of Berlusconi’s close associates were found guilty of facilitating prostitution by sourcing women for the infamous “Bunga Bunga parties.”
The third trial focused on the 21 women charged with receiving hush payments in exchange for lying and shielding Berlusconi in earlier legal matters. A lower court had cleared them on procedural grounds, prompting an appeal from the Milanese prosecutors.
Roberto Aniello, the deputy prosecutor general at the Supreme Court, confirmed that the Supreme Court in Rome ruled on Monday that the 21 women could be retried. The rationale behind the court’s decision is yet to be disclosed; this usually follows in an official statement.
An appellate court in Milan is poised to address the case, though the timeline for this is currently uncertain.
The New York Times reached out to several of the involved women, but they were not immediately available for a response. Some of the 21 have previously acknowledged accepting financial rewards or lavish gifts from Berlusconi, asserting that these were not intended to secure their silence.
