Amanda Knox to return to Italian court to defend herself against 16-year-old slander conviction

4 June 2024, 11:42 | Updated: 4 June 2024, 12:08

Amanda Knox is set to return to the same Italian court that convicted her of the murder of Meredith Kercher 12 years ago in a bid to defend herself against historic slander charges.

Ms Knox, a US citizen, was widely dubbed 'Foxy Knoxy' following her 2007 trial and spent more than four years in prison for the killing of British student Ms Kercher in Perugia, Italy.

Ms Knox was convicted of her death, alongside her boyfriend of a week, then 23-year-old computer programming student Raffaele Sollecito, amid a series of retrials and flip-flop verdicts.

The pair stood accused of manslaughter and sexual violence against the British exchange student.

36-year-old Knox was eventually exonerated in 2015 by a panel of judges at Italy’s court of cessation in Rome due to ‘stunning flaws’ in the investigation.

Appearing in court days before her 37th birthday, Ms Knox will return to appeal the one outstanding slander charge.

A 16-year-old slander conviction, the appeal relates to Ms Knox wrongly accusing a Congolese bar owner, Patrick Lumumba, of murdering her former roommate.

Meredith Kercher was found dead in the apartment she shared with Ms Knox in November 2007.

Both students had been staying in Italy as part of a student exchange programme, with authorities labelling the death a sex game gone wrong.

As part of the initial trial, Guede served 13 years of a 16-year prison sentence handed down by authorities.

A verdict in the slander case retrial ordered by the Rome court is expected on Wednesday, with Knox set to appear in an Italian court for the first time in more than 12 and a half years.

Read more: 'Studying abroad is awesome!': Amanda Knox slammed for tweet at writer who hated studying in Italy

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Ms Knox returned to the US in 2011 following the overturning of her initial conviction.

She is now a mother to two children and works as a campaigner, author and podcaster - alongside her husband, musician Colin Sutherland.

Taking to X formerly Twitter, the author and activist wrote: "On June 5th, I will walk into the very same courtroom where I was reconvicted of a crime I didn't commit, this time to defend myself yet again."

She continued: "I hope to clear my name once and for all of the false charges against me. Wish me luck. Crepi il lupo!"

Ms Knox has come under fire in recent years for her 'tasteless' comments across social media.

Just last year, Ms Knox got herself into hot water after writing on X formerly Twitter: "Whatever happens, the next four years can't be as bad as that four-year study abroad I did in Italy, right?"

The comments caused outrage, with one social media user replying: "I'm sure the family of the murdered girl appreciate you finding the funny side."