A court in Florence has re-convicted Amanda Knox of slander, marking the conclusion of her legal saga that began with the infamous murder of her college roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007. Despite being cleared of Kercher’s murder over a decade later, Knox faced accusations of wrongly accusing a Congolese bar owner, Patrick Lumumba, of the crime. The court found Knox guilty of slander, but she will not serve additional jail time in Italy, as her three-year sentence has already been satisfied by her previous incarceration stemming from the overturned murder conviction.
Knox, who appeared stoic as the verdict was delivered, was embraced by her husband following the court proceedings. The ruling mandates Knox to pay legal fees and damages to Lumumba, although the exact amount is yet to be determined. Knox’s legal team has announced plans to appeal the decision, with 45 days to file their appeal with Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation in Rome. Despite this setback, Knox remains determined to clear her name of the lingering allegations against her.
The retrial centered on Knox’s accusation against Lumumba, which she later recanted, citing coercion during a grueling police interrogation. Knox’s defense team has consistently maintained that her initial accusation was made under duress. The legal battle has seen international attention, with the European Court of Human Rights ruling in 2019 that Italy violated Knox’s human rights during police questioning. With the conclusion of this retrial, Knox’s legal ordeal comes to an end, bringing closure to a case that has captivated global audiences for years.
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