San Marino former head of state arrested

A former head of state of the Republic of San Marino, Pietro Berti, was arrested over allegations of sexual harassment, local reports said on Wednesday. Berti, a member of the Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party (PDCS) and a noted doctor, was one of the two captains regent who serve six-month stints as heads of state in the tiny republic between 1998 and 1999. The 46-year-old doctor was arrested after some patients reported alleged sexual harassment to the local police. According to ANSA news agency, the patients exposed the doctor's request to undress even in the face of a sore throat as well as outright sexual approaches. The Republic of San Marino is a microstate in Italy on the north-eastern side of the Apennine Mountains, which claims to be the oldest surviving sovereign state in the world, founded in 301 AD.