Amanda Knox.Photo: VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via GettyAmanda Knoxis going on trial again in Italy — but this time, she’s happy about it.The 36-year-old — who, along with former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, wasfound guilty of murdering her roommateMeredith Kercher in 2007 and later exonerated in 2015 — revealed on Friday that she is going “on trial in Italy again” to seek a full acquittal on related charges.She explained in alengthy Instagram postwhy the legal development is actually “a good thing,” writing that while she was exonerated for Kercher’s murder, the 2015 ruling “upheld” her conviction for slander.The slander charge was handed down after Knox wrongfully accused Perugia bar owner Patrick Lumumba of committing the crime, though he was released two weeks later after someone came forward with an alibi for him, according toThe Guardian.At the time, Knox’s lawyers argued that she made the accusation against Lumumba because she was under police duress and didn’t have an interpreter or legal assistance at the time, per the outlet.“Though I was exonerated for murder, I remained wrongly convicted of slander,” Knox wrote on social media.She said the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court of appeal or the last court of resort in Italy, sentenced her to “serve time” for the slander charge, and she had served three out of the four years of imprisonment for that charge.However, she said that the European Court of Human Rights “vindicated” her in 2019 and ruled that her “rights to a lawyer and interpreter were violated” during her interrogation.Amanda Knox on ‘Good Morning America’ in 2018.Paula Lobo/Disney General Entertainment Content/GettyShe said thanks to a recent reform, the Court of Cassation also acknowledged the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling.“Patrick Lumumba suffered 10 days of wrongful imprisonment, and Raffaele and I nearly four years. One day in prison as an innocent person is one too many,” Knox wrote.“I am no longer a convicted person. And I will fight with my lawyers to prove my innocence once and for all,” she added.Kercher was murdered in the home she shared with Knox in the university town of Perugia in November 2007, and Knox and Sollecito were arrested five days later for the crime. After a high-profile, 11-month trial,Knox and Sollecito were convicted in Kercher’s murder, though they won an appeal and werefreed and cleared of most chargesin October 2011.A second appeals trial was initiated in 2014, and Knox wasonce again found guiltyof murdering Kercher, and sentenced to 28 1/2 years in prison, while Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.However, in March 2015, Italy’s highest appeals court overturnedthe second conviction, once again exonerating Knox and Sollecito of the charges, citing “glaring errors in the underlying fabric of the sentence in question.“Rudy Guede was convicted of Kercher’s murder in a separate 2008 trial and was sentenced to areduced sentence. He waseventually released from prisonin November, 2021, perThe Guardian.
Amanda Knox.Photo: VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty
Amanda Knoxis going on trial again in Italy — but this time, she’s happy about it.The 36-year-old — who, along with former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, wasfound guilty of murdering her roommateMeredith Kercher in 2007 and later exonerated in 2015 — revealed on Friday that she is going “on trial in Italy again” to seek a full acquittal on related charges.She explained in alengthy Instagram postwhy the legal development is actually “a good thing,” writing that while she was exonerated for Kercher’s murder, the 2015 ruling “upheld” her conviction for slander.The slander charge was handed down after Knox wrongfully accused Perugia bar owner Patrick Lumumba of committing the crime, though he was released two weeks later after someone came forward with an alibi for him, according toThe Guardian.At the time, Knox’s lawyers argued that she made the accusation against Lumumba because she was under police duress and didn’t have an interpreter or legal assistance at the time, per the outlet.“Though I was exonerated for murder, I remained wrongly convicted of slander,” Knox wrote on social media.She said the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court of appeal or the last court of resort in Italy, sentenced her to “serve time” for the slander charge, and she had served three out of the four years of imprisonment for that charge.However, she said that the European Court of Human Rights “vindicated” her in 2019 and ruled that her “rights to a lawyer and interpreter were violated” during her interrogation.Amanda Knox on ‘Good Morning America’ in 2018.Paula Lobo/Disney General Entertainment Content/GettyShe said thanks to a recent reform, the Court of Cassation also acknowledged the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling.“Patrick Lumumba suffered 10 days of wrongful imprisonment, and Raffaele and I nearly four years. One day in prison as an innocent person is one too many,” Knox wrote.“I am no longer a convicted person. And I will fight with my lawyers to prove my innocence once and for all,” she added.Kercher was murdered in the home she shared with Knox in the university town of Perugia in November 2007, and Knox and Sollecito were arrested five days later for the crime. After a high-profile, 11-month trial,Knox and Sollecito were convicted in Kercher’s murder, though they won an appeal and werefreed and cleared of most chargesin October 2011.A second appeals trial was initiated in 2014, and Knox wasonce again found guiltyof murdering Kercher, and sentenced to 28 1/2 years in prison, while Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.However, in March 2015, Italy’s highest appeals court overturnedthe second conviction, once again exonerating Knox and Sollecito of the charges, citing “glaring errors in the underlying fabric of the sentence in question.“Rudy Guede was convicted of Kercher’s murder in a separate 2008 trial and was sentenced to areduced sentence. He waseventually released from prisonin November, 2021, perThe Guardian.
Amanda Knoxis going on trial again in Italy — but this time, she’s happy about it.
The 36-year-old — who, along with former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, wasfound guilty of murdering her roommateMeredith Kercher in 2007 and later exonerated in 2015 — revealed on Friday that she is going “on trial in Italy again” to seek a full acquittal on related charges.
She explained in alengthy Instagram postwhy the legal development is actually “a good thing,” writing that while she was exonerated for Kercher’s murder, the 2015 ruling “upheld” her conviction for slander.
The slander charge was handed down after Knox wrongfully accused Perugia bar owner Patrick Lumumba of committing the crime, though he was released two weeks later after someone came forward with an alibi for him, according toThe Guardian.
At the time, Knox’s lawyers argued that she made the accusation against Lumumba because she was under police duress and didn’t have an interpreter or legal assistance at the time, per the outlet.
“Though I was exonerated for murder, I remained wrongly convicted of slander,” Knox wrote on social media.
She said the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court of appeal or the last court of resort in Italy, sentenced her to “serve time” for the slander charge, and she had served three out of the four years of imprisonment for that charge.
However, she said that the European Court of Human Rights “vindicated” her in 2019 and ruled that her “rights to a lawyer and interpreter were violated” during her interrogation.
Amanda Knox on ‘Good Morning America’ in 2018.Paula Lobo/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty
Paula Lobo/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty
She said thanks to a recent reform, the Court of Cassation also acknowledged the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling.
“Patrick Lumumba suffered 10 days of wrongful imprisonment, and Raffaele and I nearly four years. One day in prison as an innocent person is one too many,” Knox wrote.
“I am no longer a convicted person. And I will fight with my lawyers to prove my innocence once and for all,” she added.
Kercher was murdered in the home she shared with Knox in the university town of Perugia in November 2007, and Knox and Sollecito were arrested five days later for the crime. After a high-profile, 11-month trial,Knox and Sollecito were convicted in Kercher’s murder, though they won an appeal and werefreed and cleared of most chargesin October 2011.
A second appeals trial was initiated in 2014, and Knox wasonce again found guiltyof murdering Kercher, and sentenced to 28 1/2 years in prison, while Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
However, in March 2015, Italy’s highest appeals court overturnedthe second conviction, once again exonerating Knox and Sollecito of the charges, citing “glaring errors in the underlying fabric of the sentence in question.”
Rudy Guede was convicted of Kercher’s murder in a separate 2008 trial and was sentenced to areduced sentence. He waseventually released from prisonin November, 2021, perThe Guardian.
source: people.com
