In a dramatic turn of legal events, Amanda Knox, the American previously acquitted in the murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher, has been re-convicted of slander by an Italian court. Knox, who has maintained her innocence throughout the lengthy judicial process, was found guilty of falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba, a Congolese bar owner, during the investigation into Kercher’s murder in 2007 . Despite her previous exoneration for the murder, the Italian court upheld the original conviction for slander, sentencing Knox to three years in prison—a term she has already served . Knox, who is now 36 years old, expressed her disappointment and embitterment over the verdict, which will not require her to serve additional time. This case has been marked by flip-flop verdicts and has remained in the international spotlight for over a decade, with the European Court of Human Rights previously overturning her defamation conviction. The re-conviction comes after a 2022 Italian judicial reform that reopened the slander charge. The ongoing legal saga has continued to raise questions about the Italian justice system and the unresolved mystery surrounding Kercher’s death.
Key points
- Amanda Knox has been re-convicted of slander in an Italian court for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba in the Meredith Kercher murder case.
- Knox will not serve additional jail time as the three-year sentence for slander is considered already served.
- The European Court of Human Rights had previously overturned Knox’s defamation conviction, but the Italian court upheld the original conviction.
