Amanda Knox cries as she loses bid to overturn slander conviction in Italy

Amanda Knox attempted to have her slander conviction in Italy reversed, but was unsuccessful.

In the end, the female citizen from the United States was found not guilty of the violent killing of her roommate, a 21-year-old named Meredith Kercher, that took place in the apartment they both inhabited in Perugia, a town in Italy known for its university.

However, she was finally set free in 2011, following a four-year imprisonment in Italy.

Knox was found guilty of slander for falsely accusing a bar owner from Congo of murder while questioning him. This was the only charge against her that was upheld after five court rulings that eventually cleared her of all other charges.

What is the significance of the court's decision for Knox?

As Knox and her spouse walked alongside their legal representatives into the courtroom, a throng of photographers encircled them. At present, the 36-year-old is a parent to two young offspring.

The court in Italy has declared Knox responsible for making defamatory statements and has given her a prison term of three years.

In a previous case, she was given a three-year punishment for falsely blaming the proprietor of the bar, Patrick Lumumba, for the murder of Ms Kercher. During the time of the killing, Knox had a part-time job with Mr Lumumba.

She won't have to spend any additional time behind bars because her punishment covers the duration she was already incarcerated.

After the decision was announced in court, Knox wept and embraced her spouse.

The attorney stated, "Amanda is extremely distressed as she had high expectations of being exonerated at last."

"I was a frightened young lady."

During the current week's court hearing in Florence, Knox had made an argument that her conviction for slander ought to be revoked owing to how the police treated her.

"In an extremely emotional manner, I told the court that I have been convicted unfairly," Knox stated.

According to her, the night of the killing was the most awful night of her life. She further stated that her place of dwelling was turned into a site of murder, and her companion became a target of brutal aggression, which left her speechless.

Knox stated that she was questioned for multiple hours during the night in a language she was not very familiar with. She further explained that when she couldn't recall all the details, one of the officers hit her slightly on the top of her head and commanded her to "remember, remember." Afterwards, she pieced together some disjointed memories and the police made her sign a statement which she felt coerced to give.

She expressed: "I regret not having enough courage and giving into the police's influence... I was a frightened young woman, misguided by their tactics and unable to have faith in my own recollections. I respectfully request that the court exonerate me."

Knox and her former partner Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty of the murder of Ms Kercher in 2007. However, they were later cleared of the charges in 2011 and ultimately declared innocent in 2015.

Afterwards, she has successfully made a name for herself in the United States by advocating for causes, writing, hosting a podcast, and producing content - most of which stems from her background in the legal system of Italy.

Discover more: Raffaele Sollecito grants a scarce interview about being falsely accused while Amanda Knox made jest of the time she was suspected of murder on her Instagram page.

Writing under the influence of a state characterized by disbelief, anxiety, and severe physical and mental exhaustion.

Although Knox and Mr. Sollecito were acquitted of murder by Italy's supreme court in 2015, Knox's conviction for slander against Mr. Lumumba still stood.

After one year had passed, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) made a decision that the questioning that took place during the evening and the following days after Ms. Kercher's murder was a violation of Knox's rights. This was because she was interrogated without a lawyer or a translator who had authority.

Taking this into account, Italy's highest court nullified the defamation verdict in the previous year and mandated a new trial.

Last April marked the beginning of a fresh trial that solely revolved around a single evidence - Knox's handwritten statement spanning four pages. The court meticulously scrutinized the document to check whether it had any elements that could potentially amount to defamation against Mr. Lumumba.

He spent a fortnight in prison following the demise of Ms Kercher, following which the authorities set him free, and he has departed from Italy since then.

During a four-day period in November 2007, Knox wrote a letter while being interrogated for 53 hours straight. The contents of the letter indicate a state of bewilderment.

Regarding the statement I made yesterday, I want to be clear that I have serious doubts about its truthfulness. The reason being, at the time, I was feeling immense stress, shock, and exhaustion, all of which may have influenced what I said.

It is possible that someone responsible for a certain situation or crime has not been captured yet.

In 2008, Rudy Guede, who hails from the Ivory Coast, was found guilty of sexually assaulting and killing Ms. Kercher. The authorities discovered his DNA at the site of the crime. After finishing 13 years of his 16-year prison sentence, Guede was set free in 2021.

He was recently instructed to put on a surveillance bracelet and stay indoors during the night hours, following accusations from his former girlfriend of engaging in physical and sexual violence. An inquiry into the matter is currently underway.

Giuliano Mignini, an ex-public prosecutor in Perugia who spearheaded the probe into the killing of Ms Kercher, said in an initial hearing for the case's opening that it is plausible that someone involved in the homicide remains unidentified. This individual still has potential to be the perpetrator.