The 37-year-old star, who was wrongfully convicted for murder of Meredith Kercher back in 2007, has lost her appeal against a slander conviction related to the case.
- August 15, 2024
AceShowbiz - Amanda Knox, 37, has spoken out after an Italian court released a 35-page document detailing its decision to uphold her previous conviction for slander. The re-conviction stems from a 2007 investigation into the murder of Meredith Kercher, Knox's roommate while she was studying abroad in Perugia, Italy.
During police questioning, Knox falsely accused Congolese bar owner Patrick Lumumba of murdering Kercher. She later recanted her statement, but Lumumba spent two weeks in jail before his alibi was proven. Knox was convicted of slander in 2009.
Knox has argued that her interrogation was unlawful and that she was pressured to sign false statements. The Florence appellate court, however, maintained that Knox's statement was made voluntarily.
In response, Knox accused the Italian justice system of "gaslighting" her. She plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Cassation, Italy's highest court.
Knox's initial murder conviction, along with that of her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, was overturned in 2011 after three jury trials. Both were officially exonerated in 2015. The actual killer, Rudy Guede, was sentenced to 13 years in prison and released in November 2021.
Despite the cleared murder charges, Knox's slander conviction remains. The appellate court sentenced her to three years in prison, but she will not serve any additional jail time as it is considered time already served.
Knox's lawyer, Carlo della Vedova, expressed surprise at the court's decision and indicated that they are evaluating it to determine if they will pursue further appeals.
