Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito who had undergone four years imprisonment for murdering British student Meredith Kercher was acquitted by the Italian Appeal Court on 3^rd October 2011. Kercher’s was found dead in her apartment that she shared with Knox with more than 40 wounds and a deep cut in the throat. All vital evidence used in the original trial to convict Knox and Sollecito was false and manipulated and this had been realised in the appeal trial that had gripped attention on both sides of the Atlantic. The verdict had brought a great humiliation to the Italian Justice system. Though there are chances that prosecutors may formally appeal to Italian Supreme Court, Knox will never be extradited back to Italy as the case is in effect over. But the conviction against Knox for defamation was upheld as she had falsely accused another person Patrick Lumumba of the murder. She was given three years imprisonment for this offence which she had already served.

The prosecution could not establish a clear motive or evidence to link the defendants with murder. The forensic experts dismissed police evidence that ‘traces of DNA belonging to Knox and Kercher were found on a kitchen knife identified as the murder weapon’ there by weakening the prosecution side. Knox and Sollecito could have been released in the trial stage itself but that would have spoiled the career and reputation of Mignin who investigated the case. The Italian Justice System gives more emphasis in preserving the reputations of powerful individuals than finding the truth, which explains why two innocents had to spend almost 4 years in prison for a wrong that they have not committed. Italian appeal process is far better than trial process of first degree and many who get convicted in the trial stage later gets acquitted during the appeal stage.

 Reported By Lydia Chitra Jacob