Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Amanda Knox's parents sued

I always know when there's a new Amanda Knox update, because I get bunches of hits on her old MySpace photo (left). I don't even need Google alerts!

Today, Knox's parents (Curt Knox and Edda Mellas) were sued for libel by Italian police. Say what?! (I didn't even know you could do that.):

The unusual charge against the US couple stems from an interview they gave to the Sunday Times three years ago, in which they alleged that she had been physically and verbally mistreated during questioning after [Meredith] Kercher's murder in 2007. The police denied harming Knox.

Curt Knox and his wife, Edda Mellas, were charged in their absence by a court in Perugia . They are scheduled to stand trail on 4 July.

A repesentative of the Knox family said there would be no comment on the development.

Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted in 2009 of sexually assaulting and murdering Kercher in the cottage the two women shared in Perugia. Kercher was found semi-naked, with her throat slashed.

Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison, and Sollecito to 25 years. Both deny wrongdoing, and their appeal against conviction has begun.
As I have written before (see above links), I think there is an even chance that Knox is guilty, but of course, could never be convicted in a US courtroom, where evidence is required. In Italy? Apparently not. There seems to be no forensic evidence whatsoever.

After reading that several jurors showed up in court wearing Italian flags (in anti-American sentiment), I was floored. In the USA, that alone would be enough for a mistrial. In Italy? Apparently not.

Anyway, now her parents are not allowed to trash the cops, another American pastime I totally took for granted:
The Italian court was told, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, that "they said, contrary to the truth, that Amanda had not been assisted by an interpreter, that she hadn't been given food or water, that she had been abused both physically and verbally", and "that she had been slapped on the back of the head and threatened".

Libel is a criminal charge in Italy, and carries a sentence of six months to three years, as well as a fine.
This is what they call a judicial system? Maybe in the Vatican, but not in the days of FORENSIC FILES, okay?

Italia, be ashamed, be very ashamed.

~*~

Comments welcome, but be advised: No nastiness on this thread, or its the trap-door for you. I put up with a lot of crap from the peanut gallery when I first started blogging (again, check the threads), but I don't now. Anti-Amanda misogynists and/or anti-American Italians, take heed.