The wives of world leaders who are due to attend the G8 summit in Italy next month have been urged to boycott the event in protest over Silvio Berlusconi's "offensive" attitude to women.

Lucia Rossini and Barbara Montereale - Italian prosecutors to question 30 women who went to Silvio Berlusconi's parties

Appeal to the First Ladies

Three Italian female academics are calling on Gordon Brown's wife, Sarah, President Obama's wife, Michele and other leaders' spouses not to attend the gathering in L'Aquila, which will be hosted by the Italian prime minister.

They were "profoundly indignant" over his treatment of women "both in public and in private," they said.

In the past two months he has been accused of "consorting with minors" by his wife, Veronica Lario

A businessman acquaintance of the prime minister is being investigated by police and prosecutors in Bari, southern Italy, on suspicion of "abetting prostitution" by allegedly supplying escorts to parties thrown by Mr Berlusconi at his mansion in Rome and his villa in Sardinia.

clipped from: www.elpais.com

Un manifiesto de mujeres pide a las primeras damas que no acudan al G-8

clipped from: www.elmundo.es

elmundo.es

Varias chicas que acudieron a las fiestas de Berlusconi.| Corriere Della Sera