Italian Supreme Court Acquittal of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito
On March 27th, 2015 the Italian Supreme Court acquitted Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of Meredith Kercher. [1] On September 7, 2015 the court released a 52 page motivation report explaining the decision. [2]
The panel of judges comprised:
- Dr Gennaro Marasca – President
- Dr Paolo Antonio Bruno – Reporting Judge
- Dr Alfredo Guardiano – Judge
- Dr Luca Pistorelli – Judge
- Dr Gabriele Poistano – Judge
The Marasca-Bruno report has been translated into English and is available here. The original Italian report is available here.
Material and Factual Errors
1. Section 2.2 Page 23-24
In fact, an eventual pronouncement by the European Court in favour of the same Knox, in the sense of a hoped-for recognition of her unorthodox treatment by the investigators, would not be able, in any way, to undermine the internal [Italian Court] judgement, nor open the prospect for a revision of the verdict and sentence, considering that the libelous accusations which the aforementioned defendant made against Lumumba owing to the impact of the alleged coercive acts were also confirmed by her before a public prosecutor, during questioning, therefore, in a
context free of institutionally anomalous psychological pressures; and were also confirmed in a memorandum [“memoriale”] bearing her signature, at a moment when the said accuser was alone with herself and her conscience, in conditions of objective tranquillity, free from external conditioning; and were even repeated, some time later, during the validation of Lumumba’s arrest, before the GIP [judge of preliminary investigation] who initiated the proceedings.
The transcript from the Validation of Arrest hearing on November 8, 2007 shows Knox didn’t further accuse Lumumba and under legal advice simply said “I avail myself of the right not to respond”
Media
Obvious outcome for Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito: Acquitted for not having committed the fact by Frank Sfarzo. March 29, 2015 – “Five Cassation judges were not fooled by pushers, tramps, words and conjectures”
Amanda Knox’s lawyer on why she was acquitted September 7, 2015 – Carlo Dalla Vedova talks about the Italian Supreme Court motivation report and acquittal of his client, Amanda Knox.
Bongiorno: “Those who were wrong [must] pay” By Erika Pontini September 8, 2015 – Sollecito’s lawyer on the attack: “Minister must intervene”
The Supreme Court shows fists to those who work without professionalism in the justice system by Massimo Prati, September 9, 2015 – “Last but not least, it [the Supreme Court] finally scolded the judges that had preceded it in judicial decisions. Judges that instead of acquitting had convicted because they wanted to convict based on personal prejudices without even considering the logic and the Criminal Code.”
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito: Final Words by Luca Cheli, September 22, 2015
More articles in the media archive.
References:
[1] Meredith Kercher murder: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito acquitted The Guardian, March 27, 2015
[2] Italy’s Highest Court Explains Decision to Clear Amanda Knox By Elisabetta Povoledo, NY Times, Sept 7, 2015