14 DAY TRIAL // Amanda Knox is going back to court for a retrial in the case of the murder of Meredith Kercher, of which she was initially found guilty and was acquitted afterwards. Italy’s Supreme Court has just granted the prosecutors’ request for a retrial.
As we also informed you yesterday, prosecutors demanded a retrial in the case that saw Knox and former lover Rafaelle Sollecito acquitted in 2011 of the 2007 murder of Kercher, who had been their roommate for 2 months when she was found dead in their apartment in Italy.
A jury initially found the two guilty but, after they spent 4 years in prison, they were acquitted and released. A drifter was charged and found guilty of the murder instead.
However, as the Good Morning America video report will confirm, it seems that Italy’s Supreme Court thought there was enough indication that the acquittal was not justified by the evidence, so a retrial will be taking place.
In a statement through her attorney to ABC News, Knox says she never expected this to happen all over again.
“It was painful to receive the news that the Italian Supreme Court decided to send my case back for revision when the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith [Kercher's] murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair,” she says.
“I believe that any questions as to my innocence must be examined by an objective investigation and a capable prosecution. The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele [Sollecito's] sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family. Our hearts go out to them,” she continues.
“No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity,” Knox says.
The retrial is likely to start in 2014 and it will not mean she’ll be back to prison in Italy, ABC points out. She might still be acquitted, in which case she has the right to demand compensation for the 4 years she spent behind bars.