Amanda Knox faces new verdict in ongoing Kercher murder saga

An American woman stood before an Italian court yet again in the case of Meredith Kercher's murder and the defamation of bar owner Patrick Lumumba. She heard the verdict but will not go to prison. What is the reason for this decision?

The Meredith Kercher murder case has reignited media interest. 36-year-old Amanda Knox returned to Italy for the first time in over 12 years, aiming to "clearing my name once and for all of the false charges against me" from all accusations directed at her. Although it was determined that she did not take the life of her roommate in 2007, the spectre of defamation accusations still loomed over her.

As mentioned above, Knox is not facing imprisonment because she already served four years in prison before being acquitted for the first time (this included a three-year sentence for defamation). Nevertheless, the court's decision undoubtedly affected Knox, who cried during the verdict's reading.

Her lawyer, Carlo della Vedova, told the media that the woman is "bitter" about this turn of events and confirmed that they plan to appeal.

The woman asked the eight Italian judges and jurors during the hearing to clear her of the defamation charge. She explained that her accusations were due to "hours of manipulation by the police." She also emphasised that she was "very sorry" she could not resist their pressure.

I didn’t know who the murderer was. I had no way to know. I never wanted to slander Patrick [Lumumba, the bar owner]; he was my friend - Knox confessed in court.

Lumumba's defence stated that the woman's accusations destroyed their client's life. After the trial, he became known as the "monster of Perugia," and her state of knowledge didn't matter for the case since her words tarnished the bar owner's reputation. According to the court's verdict, Knox will have to cover the trial costs and pay compensation to Lumumba. The amounts have not yet been specified.

This concludes another high-profile chapter in the case of the 21-year-old student Meredith Kercher, for which Amanda Knox was initially accused. Due to a lack of evidence, the woman ultimately returned home and was acquitted, but the case still left a significant mark on her.

The case was so high-profile that it has already inspired several feature films and the 2016 Netflix documentary "Amanda Knox," which focused heavily on the actions of the accused herself. The documentaries emphasised how the high-profile trial and imprisonment affected the titular person.