Ruby ‘feels damaged by media, not Berlusconi’

THE Moroccan teen at the centre of the underage prostitution scandal enveloping Premier Silvio Berlusconi insists any damage she has suffered has been at the hands of the media — not the Italian premier.

Neither Karima el-Mahroug, better known as Ruby, nor Berlusconi were present at the opening of Berlusconi’s trial on charges that he paid the teen for sex when she was underage, and then used his influence to try to cover it up.

Both have denied ever having had sex with each other. Named an injured party by the prosecution, el-Mahroug could have petitioned to become a civil complainant in the trial, which would have allowed her to seek monetary damages in case of conviction and also question witnesses in the case.