Amanda Knox: Courtesy of the Telegraphy
Justice for Meredith Kercher and her long suffering family continues to be hindered by the incessant wailing of various journalists and bloggers who are now making all sorts of wild comparisons and claims. Indeed, it’s a shame that so many of them only felt the need to comment on the case once a verdict had been reached. Sadly the great majority really need to get their facts straight.
One US Senator has urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to investigate claims that the trial and subsequent conviction of Amanda Knox for her part in the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher, be investigated amid accusations of Anti-Americanism. I believe these claims are completely unsubstantiated and extremely hypocritical. Here’s why:
Friends of Amanda: Accusations of Ethnocentrism and Anti-Italianism
The ‘Friends of Amanda’ (FOA) PR campaign has been accused of anti-Italianism and ethnocentrism itself. On many occasions representatives of or writers sympathetic to the FOA cause, including Seattle defence attorney Anne Bremner, Timothy Egan and Douglas Preston have made defamatory remarks about the mental state of the chief prosecutor Giuliano Mignini and about the Italian Justice system. Mignini has responded by taking legal action against the West Seattle Herald for comments which labelled him ‘mentally unstable’ and accused him of trying to further his own career by prosecuting Amanda for the murder.
I don’t need to tell you that these comments are ridiculous and extremely offensive. Indeed the Italian judiciary have been remarkably silent about the treatment handed to them by the American and British press. At no point have any of the Italian lawyers involved in the case made defamatory remarks about the American legal system, the mental state of those acting for the FOA on Amanda’s behalf or individuals involved in analysing the case who are supportive to Amanda. On the contrary American representatives for Amanda and the FOA have done all of this and more to the Italian Judiciary, the Italian people and those who believed the evidence against Amanda and Raffaele was strong.
Some of the comments made in articles and interviews on (predominantly) US TV networks have been profoundly embarrassing and upsetting for the Italian people and have (understandably) caused a backlash in support for Amanda in Italy. Comments and snide remarks aside, this smear campaign ‘technique’ is merely smoke and mirrors designed to draw attention away from the DNA evidence used to convict them and the fact that neither Amanda Knox nor Raffaele Sollecito had a consistent alibi for their whereabouts on the night of the murder.
Relentlessly pursuing an ethnocentric and anti-Italian criticism of the trial by constant unfair comment and comparison between two very different legal systems and then claiming ‘anti-Americanism’ when the outcome is not as expected is extremely hypocritical. Different does not mean inadequate. The Italian legal system is steeped in history and far more complex and structured than the FOA will have you believe. Amanda and Raffaele were afforded many advantages and excellent legal representation. Amanda’s defence lawyer himself is of the opinion that the trial was conducted fairly.
Differences in legal systems aside. Meredith Kercher was murdered in Italy. It is therefore not in the jurisdiction of any US investigator or lawyer to investigate or attempt to influence. Can you imagine what would happen if the Italian government attempted to influence the progress of an American trial then claimed anti-Italianism when the verdict didn’t go their way?
The idea of the US Secretary of State intervening in this case is ridiculous. Hillary Clinton has far more important things to do than bail out every American who gets into trouble abroad (even if they are considered political prisoners the US cannot always successfully intervene). This case is not a matter of national security and it doesn’t represent general foreign policy interests. Ms Clinton and the Senator demanding the investigation should be very careful. Remember what happened last time an American official tried to intervene on Amanda’s behalf? Judge Michael Heavey wrote a letter to Italy’s justice minister on his official headed paper which was so full of inaccuracies he later had to apologise.
It also appears that the suggestion of interference by the US Secretary of State has unnerved not only Amanda’s legal team and those in charge of successfully prosecuting her, but also Meredith’s mother Arline Kercher who, in comments made to the Sun newspaper quite rightly expresses her distaste, saying: “We were not exactly given special treatment. I can’t see there was this anti-American thing.” And poor Arline is spot on, in fact there have been several instances where (predominantly) US commenters on the case have been distinctly anti-victim and made comments which are extremely offensive to Meredith and her family. Meredith’s corpse has even been shown on Italian television. The only person who has suffered any discrimination is the only person that no longer has a voice of her own: Meredith.
More Spin
Fortunately for Meredith’s long suffering family it seems the US media is once again misleading its audience. Headlines screaming ‘Hillary Clinton Meeting with US Senator to Discuss Knox Case” are exaggerated to say the least. Just because Clinton says she will meet with the Senator doesn’t mean she can or will intervene in Amanda’s case. This has been very carefully contrived to keep the story of Amanda’s plight in the news and at the centre of a very well manipulated public audience.
Remember: Amanda Knox Was Not the Only Defendant Convicted of Murder
The Italian legal system also successfully prosecuted Rudy Guede in a fast track trial, he was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Let’s also not forget Amanda’s co-defendant, Italian national Raffaele Sollecito who got 25 years.
The accusations of anti-Americanism might not be so laughable had Amanda been the only person convicted for the murder. Raffaele Sollecito is from a very wealthy and influential Italian family. His father is a doctor and his sister was a Carabinieri officer. Needless to say, the family are very well connected. If the PM were as ‘corrupt’ and incompetent as the FOA would have us believe why then did he ‘allow’ Raffaele to be charged and prosecuted with the same culpability as Amanda Knox?
The idea that a convicted murderer should be released on the back of anti-American trial claims is ridiculous. Amanda and Raffaele had the same trial. Was the trial anti-Italian too? How about we release everyone convicted of murder based on the fact that their trial ‘might’ have been anti-[insert get out clause here]?
Claims that the Trial was Unfair
The fact that neither Amanda nor Raffaele were convicted of stealing Meredith’s rent money, phones and credit cards lends credibility to the fact that the jury didn’t believe beyond reasonable doubt that they were guilty of this particular offence. Neither the money not the cards were ever found.
This seems to lend credibility to the idea that the jury took their responsibility seriously and only returned guilty verdicts on those charges to which they felt the defendants were guilty beyond reasonable doubt and to those charges which the prosecution were able to present clear evidence of their guilt. Amanda’s lawyers believe she had a fair trial as do Meredith’s family and their legal representative Francesco Maresca.
The idea that Amanda was railroaded is so far from the truth as to be ridiculous. I sincerely hope that advisers to Ms Clinton and Senator Cantwell make sure they are aware of the full facts of this case before condoning or conducting any kind of intervention on Amanda Knox’s behalf.
