So the verdict is apparently due in the Meredith Kercher murder trial today

[PortofinoRevisited]

BBC Link

The appeal after the overturned convictions. I hope this can all be brought to a close now.

[Whitershadeofpale]

Meredith's family have always appeared to me to seem to be convinced of their guilt.

[Sparklingbrook]

Me neither Porto. What must they be going through.

[TheNightIsDark]

I think Meredith's family just saw the initial conviction and have held onto it. Perhaps the idea of having to delve again into what might have happened is too much and it's easier to believe the initial conviction.

Not to mention they're used to the English system where this farce wouldn't have happened.

Maybe.

[TheOneWithTheNicestSmile]

Rudy Guede has never said they were involved, has he???

[PortofinoRevisited]

He didn't initially, but mentioned them much later.

[thepurplepenguin]

It is bonkers. Would never have happened here, on the basis that our justice system requires evidence and proof, not just some fucked-up fairy story. I feel so sorry for Meredith and her family, but I do also feel so sorry for Amanda and Rafael to have this dragging on for so long. What a shadow it must have cast over their lives.

[thepurplepenguin]

Rafaelle I mean (phone does not like that!)

[thenightsky]

I saw this news earlier and I must say I struggle to understand how you can be found guilty, then not-guilty, then guilty again

[PortofinoRevisited]

It is mad. On what grounds can they have found them guilty? The DNA was totally discredited. There wasn't anything else.

[howrudeforme]

Also I just can't get my head around a system where you can be found not guilty, released. Tried again and found guilty. All with no new evidence being discovered.

There's a system where the appeal system is automatic. And so this verdict is not the end.


Most people on the street would have no idea who Raffaelle Sollecito is but Amanda Knox (or Foxy Knoxy angry) is instantly recognizable. Every report seems to juxtapose Amanda and Meredith like a real life representation of the Madonna/ Whore complex .

Yup in the UK and US, but I speak to lots of italians every day and they have a bigger view on sollecito.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Am really surprised by the verdict.

[LemongrassGinger]

Wow. can't believe that. :o I thought they'd no evidence that wasn't flawed or circumstantial.

[howrudeforme]

Would never have happened here, on the basis that our justice system requires evidence and proof, not just some fucked-up fairy story. I feel so sorry for Meredith and her family, but I do also feel so sorry for Amanda and Rafael to have this dragging on for so long. What a shadow it must have cast over their lives.

Of course Italy has a different legal process. Pretty normal. Our judicial system is not particularly swift is it? Doesn't matter it would never happen here. It didn't happen here.

[PortofinoRevisited]

Even the BBC headline was AK found guilty. It is STILL all about her. RS is an afterthought. let alone the convicted Rudi Guede who left his DNA all over the murder scene and seems to be serving a reduced sentence. I am seethingly angry at this

[ThenAgain]

Wondering why she also got a longer sentence?

[howrudeforme]

Yup but what is the italian view?

I was on the fence - as time has gone on this trial has taken on a character of it's own. The process is compromised. Lots of stuff on Knox, sollecito and a bit from guede - the victim has been forgotten.


Guede was convicted of a crime with others. If there are no others then he should be released.

If the Kercher family believe that K and S are involved I believe them.

But the judicial process won't necessarily support this.

[PortofinoRevisited]

Surely the victim is not forgotten - certainly not by me.

[Bananagio]

Would never have happened here. No because there are never any miscarriages of justice in the uk are there. Just ask the Birmingham 6. And uk justice never drags its heels or changes a conclusion drawn. Just ask the Hillsborough families. And there are no innocent parties on death row of the USA....oh and as for the idea that the guilty verdict came out because Amanda Knox was good looking and not ashamed of that....really? I am surrounded by Italian women day in day out living here in Italy who often tend to be stunning and certainly don't seem to feel the need to apologize for the fact. Having a view on the case is one thing, throwing around these huge generalizations that aren't based in reality just trivializes the whole sorry, tragic case.

[Suelford]

"If the Kercher family believe that K and S are involved I believe them."

Why?

[PortofinoRevisited]

otherwise it is a judicial process with evidence that shows who or who didn't commit a crime. To me the evidence shows clearly that Rudi Guede did. There is no convincing evidence against the other 2 at all. As in absolutely none. And it doesn't make sense either

[howrudeforme]

I believe their view because I don't think they are holding on to crap. They would have seen stuff we, media consumers, won't have seen.

Banana - I was quoting someone else re wouldn't have happened here.

It think there will never be justice at this point. I'm talking about what really happened and the penalty for it. It's taken a life of it's own. sollecito can be dragged back to jail until the the next stage of justice. I doubt UA would hand knox over.

In the meantime there's this bloke in jail fast tracked convicted of a crime with 'others'. Where are these others? If they are so convinced it's K & S, if the authorities clear them, then surely guede's sentence is invalid?

[HettiePetal]

I don't think the Kerchers' have extra information. If there's evidence at all implicating AK & RS, we'd have heard it by now.

There simply isn't. What there is is a huge amount of evidence, including DNA, proving that Guede was responsible. They got the right man. I simply don't understand how they can justify this.

Does America have to agree to an extradition?

[plutarch14]

When was the last time America 'had' to agree to anything? No, they will tell the Italians to do one. I certainly would.

The stuff that went on around that first trial would be enough to cause a mis-trial here so I have zero respect for the outcome.

[howrudeforme]

Guede was convicted of a crime with others. He's in jail on his own.

Why? Really, why? If it's not those two - who is it? I cannot think they got the right man because the right man was convicted with others. without others then why is he in jail?

Of course the family of the deceased woud know more than us.

America doesn't have to agree to anything and it's backstory of extradition doesn't make me think they'd hand knox over.

In anycase - it's not over yet.The Italian legal system allows for automatic appeals and there's more to come potentially.

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

The news headlines here in Italy were:

"Sollecito and Knox found guilty"

So no putting AK first. Not when one of their own is implicated. (rightly or wrongly)

The furore in the days to come (there will be a TV special tonight, I'm guessing involving Raffaele's Dad who tends to do the TV stuff on his behalf- I'll update tomorrow with what they say) will be focussed on R's crack legal team and their plans for the next trial.

The trial (retrial) which ended yesterday was the appeal court trial.(Corte d'appello) Now the legal teams decide if they want to go the next grade up or not. To the Corte di Cassazione.


I didn't see this coming this time. RS has the top defence lawyer in the country (she is Berlusca's lawyer and also heavily involved in politics) If she couldn't sort this out, I doubt anyone could.