Vienna/Rome:
Karima el-Mahroug, now infamous as 'Ruby Heartstealer', is hopeful that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's upcoming trial will bring the truth to light.
Berlusconi was indicted last month on charges he paid for sex with Karima el-Mahroug, whose nickname is Ruby, when she was under age, then used his influence to cover it up.
Ruby was in Vienna to attend the Austrian capital's Opera Ball on Thursday night as the date of a limelight-loving 78-year-old, Richard Lugner, who every year books a different celebrity as his date for the bash.
Seemingly confident and at ease, Ruby told a horde of reporters at a movie theatre Lugner owns that Berlusconi was a modest person who always treated her well, while accusing the Italian media of misrepresenting her.
"I still love Italy as I always did, but I am being judged only by what the media are writing about me," she said.
"A lot of people judge me without knowing me. It's not easy living this way, being judged by appearance and what is said of you in the media. If I had the possibility I might even leave Italy now, but there will be a (Berlusconi's) trial that I must attend as a witness so (sic) I will stay in Italy."
She denied having worked as an escort girl, saying there was no evidence that she was ever paid for such services.
In Rome on Wednesday, Berlusconi posed for photographs with visiting Chilean President Sebastian Pinera but did not comment on the issue.
Earlier this year, Ruby said Berlusconi gave her seven-thousand euros when they first met and that, at the time, she identified herself as Egyptian and said she was 24, not 17.
The charges on Berlusconi carry a maximum sentence of 3 years for underage prostitution and 12 years for abuse of office.
The trial proceedings start on April 6.
Berlusconi was indicted last month on charges he paid for sex with Karima el-Mahroug, whose nickname is Ruby, when she was under age, then used his influence to cover it up.
Ruby was in Vienna to attend the Austrian capital's Opera Ball on Thursday night as the date of a limelight-loving 78-year-old, Richard Lugner, who every year books a different celebrity as his date for the bash.
Seemingly confident and at ease, Ruby told a horde of reporters at a movie theatre Lugner owns that Berlusconi was a modest person who always treated her well, while accusing the Italian media of misrepresenting her.
"I still love Italy as I always did, but I am being judged only by what the media are writing about me," she said.
"A lot of people judge me without knowing me. It's not easy living this way, being judged by appearance and what is said of you in the media. If I had the possibility I might even leave Italy now, but there will be a (Berlusconi's) trial that I must attend as a witness so (sic) I will stay in Italy."
She denied having worked as an escort girl, saying there was no evidence that she was ever paid for such services.
In Rome on Wednesday, Berlusconi posed for photographs with visiting Chilean President Sebastian Pinera but did not comment on the issue.
Earlier this year, Ruby said Berlusconi gave her seven-thousand euros when they first met and that, at the time, she identified herself as Egyptian and said she was 24, not 17.
The charges on Berlusconi carry a maximum sentence of 3 years for underage prostitution and 12 years for abuse of office.
The trial proceedings start on April 6.
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