Amanda Knox has returned to Italy for a trial. But the trip did not end as hoped: Because she had defamed an innocent person in the spectacular murder case, a previous school sentence against her was upheld.
Almost ten years after her acquittal in a spectacular murder trial, the American Amanda Knox has suffered a defeat in an Italian court. An appeals court in Florence confirmed an earlier conviction of the now 36-year-old for defamation and sentenced her to three years in prison. The case concerned the fact that Knox – also known as the “ice-eyed angel” – had initially accused an apparently innocent barman of killing her British roommate after her arrest in 2007.
But the former exchange student will not have to go back behind bars: she has already served her sentence through her previous prison sentence. Knox burst into tears after the judges’ decision. “I did not expect this. I am very disappointed,” said the American, who had returned to Italy especially for the trial. Knox now lives in her home country again. She is married and has two children. The case has not yet been resolved.
ECHR once overturned verdict against Amanda Knox
The murder of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher in the central Italian city of Perugia made headlines around the world in 2007. The American woman, who was a year younger than her and had lived with her, and her boyfriend quickly came under suspicion. Knox was initially sentenced to a long prison term and had to spend four years in prison. In 2015, however, both were ultimately acquitted of the murder charge.
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg then overturned the conviction for defamation, which is why a court in Italy had to deal with the matter again. However, Knox’s hope of finally getting rid of this verdict was not fulfilled.
It is still not clear who murdered the young British woman. A 20-year-old man whose fingerprints were found at the crime scene was convicted of aiding and abetting murder. He has since been released. The Amanda Knox case later became the basis for several books and films, as well as a series.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
