Thought provoking article by Meredith Kercher's father

[Feenie]

Here

Poor man. I found this bit very surprising "Kurt Knox and his ex-wife Edda ­Mellas have never expressed their condolences to our family for our grievous loss. There has been no letter of sympathy; no word of regret. Instead, I have watched them repeatedly reiterate the mantra of their daughter?s innocence."

I wonder why they've never said anything to Meredith's parents - too worried it would come close to an admission of guilt? Very strange that they haven't said anything, surely?

How ironic that this is in the DM, which is more culpable than most regarding the tagging of Amanda Knox with that name (I'm not going to repeat it)

I read an interview with Amanda's sister in Grazia a few months ago. She mentioned that they'd never contacted Merediths family, I cant remember the exact reasoning given but I think it was along the lines of them not wanting to interfere with the families grieving period, when they are also grieving for Amanda in a different way.

I was a bit suprised as well but I suppose it would be quite awkward.

Have to admit though I do think that Knox is innocent, there doesn't seem to be much evidence against her. But thats just my hunch.

It is a very difficult situation for Amanda's parents too. As they obviously believe her to be innocent, and Meredith's family obviously believe her to be guilty - they must be very hesitant to make any contact.

The appeal process will obviously be very hard for the Kercher family, though like Viva - after following the trial, I think that she and Sollecito should never have been found guilty on the evidence that was given to the court.

Porto - do you think they were innocent. If so, do you think it was the guy who was convicted in the first trial and him alone?

My dh reckoned Knox and her boyfriend were guilty. He's (dh) Italian and he was monitoring via Italian media but he also reckoned Knox was given a massive profile because of her blond hair. He also thought the boyfriend was as guilty as hell. He felt also that the other man involved (Rudi?) was portrayed in a very racist way.

I did get the impression that what the media could report was only some of what happened.I suppose that could be Italian law so as not to compromise the trial?

I have no idea.

I did feel that Knox's social networking profile did her no favours whatsoever.

I agree that Knox's social profile on FB or whereever it was did her no favours - but I find it shocking that something like that can seemingly sway a jury/judge on a murder conviction. It did seem that her personal life was on trial, one which I'd have thought is no worse than most American teenagers/young, single women. Perhaps not so in a more conservative, Catholic country like Italy?

It just seems odd that Knox and her boyfriend would supposedly hook up with a homeless drifter. I never read anything that explained where/how they'd become acquainted, maybe I missed that? And then the 3 of them slit her throat. I'm not saying that a young female with no previous convictions would never murder someone but it seems very out of character, especially to murder someone in such a brutal fashion.

Makes more sense for it to be a robbery/rape gone wrong by the homeless guy. Lack of forensic evidence and lack of motive is a concern.

Wasn't the issue that she and her boyfriend tried to cover up the crime?

Even if innocnet that was perverting the course of justice...so they are not entirely innocent. However, saying it is more likely to be a homeless person who did this is a bit unfair...but it was fishy the way he was bundled through the justice system without his feet touching the ground.

They were probably advised not to by their legal team. The family of the defendent contacting the family of the victim could be misconstrued in a lot of ways.

It was a truly bizarre case though - very, very odd.

There were lots of strange inconsitencies I agree. I believe that it was the first guy - in fact he was the only one who left proper forensic evidence at the crime scene, which is how they found him in the first place (DNA/fingerprints - can't remember - but he had previous convictions and was on the database). He had fled the country.

The physical evidence linking the other 2 was sketchy at best. The police seemed to have dreamt up the sex game gone wrong though - there was no motive shown and it is such an unlikely scenario - then desperately tried to find evidence to back this theory up.

There were things that seemed sinister but that might have had rational explanations. I seem to recall they they were have said to have both turned off their mobile phones. But they were in a place with sketchy coverage. And some of the timelines didn't make sense - but there were explanations has to how this could have happened. The most damning thing about Amanda was the first "confession" but there are doubts even about that.

I don't think I'm being unfair saying it was more likely to be this specific homelss person - he left DNA evidence. I'm not saying it was likely to be a homeless person in general.

maybe - but I find it rather odd that she's taken the conviction on the chin and just going through the legal process now.

solecito too possibly(but we never hear of him in the UK press).

You think she'd be tearing her hair out and talking to anyone who'd want to listen. But she's remarkably calm.

That I find odd.

Did solecito's family ever give condolences to the kercher family?

giveitago - she doesn't have a CHOICE in this you know. She is a convicted murderer. There is due process to be followed and of course she must be very, very careful about what she says to anyone. She has been locked up a long time in a foreign prison. I guess you learn to deal with it or you go mad.

I never really fully grasped what Amanda's and Raffaelle's final alibi was. They seemed to change stories and contradict each other several times.

Like I said before - truly bizzare. They never seemed to point the finger at each other or Rudy Guerde. Amanda named the bar owner as the murderer then changed her story.

Meredith's family deserve the truth but that will never bring back their daughter/sister.

Just a tragic, tragic waste of a young life.

As I recall, Amanda was asked, after a long detention with no sleep, in a foreign country and without legal counsel, to IMAGINE what might have happened. She came out with a load of old bollocks basically. I think that such a confession would be disallowed in a UK court.

I find it hard to work out what was media 'spin' what was the truth and and think certain members of the press should hang their head in shame over this case.

One day a murderer will walk free from court through 'chequebook' journalism because a defendant would have been denied any chance of a fair trial.

Media amplification, speculation and sordid 'insights' gleaned from Facebook and other social networking sites printed widely in even 'quality' papers will one day render a case invalid because there could never be an 'impartial' jury.

I hope the journalists are ready to pay the piper when this happens.

Suncottage, but you could also argue that all the "sordid 'insights' gleaned from Facebook" played a big part in an innocent party being convicted.

Honestly I have no axe to grind, and wasn't there to know the full truth. But in legal terms, the case against against ANYONE other than Rudi does not stand up. It was trial by media.

Kurt Knox was on Today on Radio 4 last week (an item about the appeal) and was very eloquent re how sorry he felt for the Kerchers. There were a lot of condolences. He came across very well - he's had his own sort of hell (not the same, I know).

I agree re the lack of real evidence - no forensics whatsover putting her in the right place at the right time.

Portofino

I agree it was trial by media and it was sensationalist reporting at it's worst. I have no idea if the three people convicted of the crime are guilty or not.

I was just horrified by the tawdry, sordid and scraping the bottom of the barrel the press stooped to.

How they can sleep is beyond me.

Oh and there was a bit of that Italian "honour" and "keeping face" stuff going on to. Once the "motive" had been decided on, everything revolved around that. Evidence be damned. Amanda was obviously guilty as she took drugs and slept with men, and displayed poor judgement, and behaved well, like every other student I ever met.

I am not enamoured of Ms Knox but I am even less enamoured of the Italian legal system which is flawed to put it kindly

I feel dreadfully sorry for Meredith's family, but I do believe they have her killer locked up. The evidence however, does not lead me to believe (personally) that Knox and Sollecito were involved though.

Beyond reasonable doubt...?

I have no idea who killed Meredith Kercher (didn't follow the trial in any depth).

However, given the circumstances I can quite see why the Knox family did not get in touch with their condolences - their daughter was accused of being a perpetrator and as well as making things (massive understatement) awkward, they were well advised to keep clear and not muddy the waters of the trial.

I just read the piece by Meredith's father.

Regardless of who is guilty, the bit about her sister going up to collect her degree, & the standing ovation from the other Leeds graduates, had me in pieces