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| Italian ex-PM Berlusconi sentenced in Ruby sex case | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Italy's former PM Silvio Berlusconi has been found guilty of having sex with an underage prostitute, and abusing the power of his office. | Italy's former PM Silvio Berlusconi has been found guilty of having sex with an underage prostitute, and abusing the power of his office. |
| He has been sentenced to seven years in jail and banned from public office, pending the outcome of an appeal. | He has been sentenced to seven years in jail and banned from public office, pending the outcome of an appeal. |
| The 76-year-old media tycoon had denied all the allegations against him. | The 76-year-old media tycoon had denied all the allegations against him. |
| Mr Berlusconi is already embroiled in several other court cases. In October 2012 he was given a four-year sentence for tax fraud. | |
| In this latest court ruling, he was found guilty of paying for sex with a Moroccan girl, Karima El Mahroug, known as "Ruby the Heart Stealer", who was just 17 at the time. | |
| The judgement could have major political repercussions for Italy, analysts say. | |
| They say a guilty ruling could weaken current Prime Minister Enrico Letta's coalition government, which depends on the support of Mr Berlusconi's centre-right party, People of Freedom (PdL). | |
| But Mr Berlusconi will not have to spend any time in jail unless a lengthy appeals process is exhausted. |