Italy: Amanda Knox appeals conviction

The legal drama surrounding the murder of a British exchange student in Italy in 2007 is entering a new round – probably the last. After being sentenced to three years in prison for defamation, the American Amanda Knox has officially lodged an appeal with the Italian judiciary in order to obtain a complete acquittal. This was announced by their lawyers. Italy's highest court, the Supreme Court of Cassation in Rome, must now deal with the case again.

The 37-year-old has already had good experiences with this: After two guilty verdicts in the lower courts, the judges in Rome finally acquitted her of the murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher in 2015. The case is still the subject of much speculation today.

Found guilty of libel

Knox – often referred to as the “ice-eyed angel” – was sentenced to three years in prison by an Italian appeals court in June for accusing an apparently innocent bartender of murder following her arrest. However, she doesn't have to go back behind bars: she has already served the three-year sentence due to her previous stay in Italian prisons.

Knox now lives again on the west coast of the USA. She is married and has two children. She sees herself as a victim of the Italian justice system. In the main trial, the American was found guilty twice of murdering her former roommate. In the final instance, however, there was a perfect acquittal in 2015. The murder remains unsolved to this day. It was the basis for books, films and a successful series.

The murder 17 years ago remains unsolved to this day

The murder of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher in the central Italian city of Perugia in November 2007 has been making headlines ever since. The young British woman was found during an exchange semester in the apartment she shared with three other young women, including Amanda Knox. A 20-year-old man whose fingerprints were found at the crime scene has been convicted of accessory to murder. He has now been released after 13 years in prison.

SDA