The Kercher Family are “Back to Square One” as Amanda Knox is Released
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October 4, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
The Kercher family are “back to square one,” as Amanda Knox and Raffeale Solecito are released by the Italian court.
After a final appeal to the Italian court, Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffeale Solecito have been freed and acquitted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher. The verdict was announced on Monday night, bringing the 24-year-old American to tears and leaving the Kercher family with more unanswered questions and further heartbreak.
Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday, Lyle Kercher, Miss Kercher’s brother, said: “We accepted the decision and respected the court and the Italian justice system.”
He added: “We do find we are now left looking at this again and thinking how a decision that was so certain two years ago has been so emphatically overturned, which raises other questions.
“It feels very much like back to square one. The search goes on to find out what really happened.”
Meredith Kercher was sexually assaulted and killed in her bedroom in 2007. She was living with Miss Knox during an exchange year from the University of Leeds and had been in the city of Perugia, Italy, for two months before her murder.
Knox and her ex-boyfriend were arrested and charged with murder in 2009; however, both continually denied their involvement in the crime.
They were sentenced to 26 and 25 years imprisonment respectively, of which they had already served four.
After Monday’s emotional plea, in which Knox claimed: “I did not kill … I was not there.” The jury decided to release both suspects and overturn the initial court ruling.
According the Associated Press, Knox has now left Italy to return home to Seattle, US.
“We are thankful to the court for having the courage to look for the truth and to overturn this conviction,” said Deanna Knox, the 24-year-old’s sister.
“She suffered for four years for crimes she did not commit.”
Throughout the appeal defence lawyers pointed to flawed evidence, including insufficient DNA results that were gathered from the weapon and the crime scene.
A third person, Rudy Guede, 24, was convicted of Meredith Kercher’s murder in an earlier trail. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment; however, his sentence was reduced to 16 years after an appeal.
Despite acquitting Knox of homicide, the judge has upheld her conviction of slander for accusing bar owner Patrick Diya Lumumba of the murder. Mr Lumumba was proven innocent of the crime and the American has been order to pay 22,000 euros (£18, 800) in compensation.
As family and friends of Knox celebrate her release, the Kercher family remain uncertain of who actually killed their daughter.
The “biggest disappointment” was still not knowing what happened and knowing “someone or people out there” were responsible, said Stephanie Kercher.
She also added that it was too early to forgive.
“Until the truth comes out, we can’t forgive anyone because no-one’s even admitted to it knowing there was someone out there who was responsible,” she said.
Prosecution teams say they will make a final appeal to the Italian high court; however, the Kercher family have expressed no animosity to Knox or Solecito.
By Catherine Rees
[Image courtesy of Facebook Amanda Knox club]
