Monday, October 03, 2011

Twentieth Appeal Session: Translated Transcript Of Amanda Knox’s Final Plea To The Court

Posted by Peter Quennell





The image above and Knox’s remarks below are from one of the live broadcasts of the pressroom feed.

Members of the court. Many times people have said I am some other person, people don’t understand whom I am. The only thing different from four years ago is what I have suffered. I lost a friend, a girlfriend, in the most brutal way in the most unexplained manner.

My trust in the police authorities has been betrayed. I have had to dealt with unfair and unfounded charges. I have paid with my life for things that I did not commit.

Four years ago I did not know what tragedy was. I have never faced so much anger before. I didn’t know how to interpret it. How did we react when we found out Meredith had been killed? I did not believe it. How was it possible?

Her bedroom was next to mine. She was killed in our home. If I had been there that night I would have died. The only difference is, I was not there. I trusted the police’s sense of duty and trust. I trusted them completely. I was betrayed on the night of November 5. I was manipulated.

I am not who they say I am. I am not violent. I don’t have a lack of respect for life. And I did not kill. I did not rape. I did not steal. I wasn’t there at the crime scene.

I had good relationships with everyone who lived in my flat. We all had good relationships. We helped each other. I shared my life, particularly with Meredith. We were friends. She was worried about me. She was very kind to me.

I have never run away from the truth. I insist after four desperate years, that our innocence is true and needs to be recognized. I want to go back home. I want to go back to my life. I don’t want my life and my future taken away from me for something that I didn’t do.

I am innocent. We do not deserve this. We never did anything to deserve this. I have the utmost respect to this court and the care that it has shown. Thank you.

Comments

A journalist at ITN described Amanda’s speech as a ‘virtuoso performance’.  Hmm..as opposed to a heartfelt plea.  Very telling indeed.

Posted by Intuition on 10/03/11 at 04:21 PM | #

10/3/11

She jumps right in blaming the police, and reverts to “we” when bringing up Meredith’s death. Statement Analysis would not see that as a sign of innocence. “We never did anything to deserve this”, but then it’s “I” have utmost respect for this court. She wanted to get that message across loud and clear, respect for the court.

Raf wants to take off the bracelet that bears both his name and Amanda’s. That might be a visible sign he’s ready to unshackle himself from her at later appeal. Bracelet reminds me of Vietnam POW bracelets or identity bracelets. He wants no further part of being linked with Amanda for his identity, nor in this war.

On PMF I watched a Guardian UK video of Amanda making this appeal speech and frankly she should have stopped and sat down immediately after her initial breakdown. There was real anguish and exhaustion in that wrenched groan and body language. Her lawyers nearly had to reach out to hold up her body. I know she is tired and wrung out. Yet in the background knowing full well they’re in view of the cameras are Edda and Madison bobbing their heads together time after time during Amanda’s speech! It was so distracting seeing those two women talking and whispering to each other instead of focusing intently on what Amanda was saying. They were so rude.

Edda had her white tissue in evidence dabbing and wiping her eyes every two seconds,  while rudely moving around and putting her head together with Madison chit chatting casually, thus carelessly talking over Amanda’s few vital minutes that Amanda was allowed to finally address the court and the world. With friends like Madison and Edda, who needs enemies? Rude, crude, and unbearable to watch even for someone who thinks Amanda is guilty. Dr. Sollecito paid scrupulous attention to Amanda and presented himself as dignified and four levels above their social class, as he has always been. Even Ghirgha seemed restless and distracted during what should have been a most riveting moment in the courtroom as his innocent client made her last stand.

All in all Amanda’s speech was an echo of her “I’m not that girl” earlier speech and less persuasive than ever. She skirts indirectly around Meredith and gives one musical note to what should be the main chorus: I did not kill Meredith Kercher, I’m so sorry she’s dead, I’m so sad for her family, I was with Raf all night and I am angry as heck with Rudy Guede who killed her. She should have had some honest indignation about that, if she believes Guede is the real killer who has caused Meredith’s death but also Amanda’s own four year ordeal. Wouldn’t you blame the person who had thrown you in prison for a crime you hadn’t committed? Instead, she chalks it up to the police and their betrayal of her kind help.

If she were innocent, she would rage against Guede. It’s the feelings Amanda doesn’t have that speak the loudest. Same with Raffaele.

Posted by Hopeful on 10/03/11 at 04:40 PM | #

Spot-on as usual there Hopeful. The on-camera behavior of Edda Mellas and Madison Paxton really was truly bizarre. Way to draw attention away from your kid’s most vital speech of a lifetime.

The PMF forum seems to be offline right now, perhaps because live videos of the final pleas were embedded. The take among posters there a few minutes ago was that this did not seem not the speech Knox needed to make to put to bed the thousand questions that still swirl around her. It did not seem the speech her family had promised.

Admittedly she was very nervous, and cried briefly several time. But she didnt mention Patrick at all, or show sympathy for Meredith’s family, or rant about “the real killer Guede, or explain why her alibi and Sollecito’s differ. The bitter disillusionment she expressed with the police and investigators was something she also aired in her remarks at the start of the appeal. She was way more confident forceful then.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 10/03/11 at 04:41 PM | #

Here she is at it again: Lying and blaming!

She blames the officials for betraying her after she tried to help them. So why did she try to “help” by lying to them repeatedly in order to derail the investigation?

Posted by tempusfugit on 10/03/11 at 04:59 PM | #

Very odd that her mother would be whispering during her speech, as if she already knew exactly what she would say (rehearsed with her?).  And who is Madison anyway?

Neither of them have refuted most of the other evidence which will still stand then, the mixed DNA, the conflicting alibis.  Just an appeal to the emotions of the jury it seems.  I did not hear the speech - how long was it?  As long as the other one before the first conviction?

I’m sure she is tired and sick, her life in prison is on the line.  Probably didn’t sleep all night.  However that does not make someone innocent.

I’d like to believe her.  But there are too many inconsistencies in her story from the beginning and there still stands some of the DNA evidence which was not contested during the appeal.  So I do not know how they can release her.  And if Raphael is not separating himself from her or confessing anything different, I don’t know how he could be released and she be retained in prison.  That would really look like prejudice against Americans.

The Italians can’t win the American media situation and I think they know it.  Either 1) they keep Amanda and Raphael in prison and they go to the Supreme Court and so the American take - Italians are all corrupt and their legal system is a farce. 

2) they release the two of them on lack of evidence.  American take - see we knew it all along, Italians are corrupt, the evidence was planted/contaminated, we were right along.

Posted by believing on 10/03/11 at 05:08 PM | #

Lets hope these are the last public words we hear from Knox for sometime and that the convictions are upheld.

Posted by gabster1971 on 10/03/11 at 05:10 PM | #

Comediante ! Tragediante !

Posted by Beevor on 10/03/11 at 05:25 PM | #

““I am paying with my on life”” Anyone knows the real Italian words she used?

Posted by Beevor on 10/03/11 at 05:28 PM | #

Kerchers are giving a live interview on BBC.  Say that they have to stay with the original findings of the first trial because nothing new has been found.  Follow the BBC link above.

Posted by believing on 10/03/11 at 05:35 PM | #

““I am paying with my on life”” Anyone knows the real Italian words she used?

Posted by Beevor on 10/03/11 at 05:48 PM | #

@hopeful

Your remarks about Edda’s behavior sent me to the Guardian video. You say of them (& I abbreviate)

“...knowing full well they’re in view of the cameras, Edda and Madison [are] bobbing their heads together. It was so distracting seeing those two women talking and whispering instead of focusing intently on what Amanda was saying. Edda had her white tissue in evidence dabbing and wiping her eyes every two seconds [&] carelessly talking over Amanda’s few vital minutes.”

So very true & discerning. Fact is, Edda distracts from Amanda’s crucial statement, shows herself downright inattentive to it, involves poor Madison who’s sitting alongside & overall, but most especially with her bobbing white hanky, succeeds in drawing attention to herself.

Would I have noticed this, had I not read you first?  That’s not a given although Edda’s bright white hanky at times so overused is certainly a flag. Altogether an astonishing performance—by Amanda’s mother.

Posted by Ernest Werner on 10/03/11 at 05:51 PM | #

Guilty or not guilty, she came across as a terrified girl. Very sad. I just wish that there was not so much evidence against her. As a father of 2 girls slightly younger than Knox, it hurts me to say it but, you have to follow the evidence to find the truth.

Posted by starsdad on 10/03/11 at 05:51 PM | #

AK is still wallowing in self-pity. It could have been the speech of her life but what she delivered is not worth to be remembered (“If I had been there that night I would have died”).

Having studied law, I trust in the professionalism of professional lawyers to stick to the evidence and to uphold the decision of declaring AK and RS beeing guilty.

Posted by Dr. Weissnix on 10/03/11 at 05:59 PM | #

FYI: Edda is in the row behind Amanda texting or something. It’s Amanda’s aunt in the row behind Edda that is dabbing at her eyes and talking to Madison. I believe that Madison is translating for Amanda’s Aunt. Edda is saving her tears for the interviews!

Posted by bedelia on 10/03/11 at 06:05 PM | #

Hi Hopeful - Peter Hyatt has already posted something interesting today re AK’s address. I was astonished at this which she took months to prepare according to her dad, notwithstanding the understandable stress she was under. And RS would have been well-advised to abandon for once the self-pitying tack. We know he’s been in a cell for a long time. What we don’t know is why he won’t support AK’s alibi, why he thinks his Meredith’s dna is on his knife and why he felt the need to say he’d been at a party on that night (amongst other things).

Posted by pensky on 10/03/11 at 06:07 PM | #

I, I, I, I, I, I…yes, Amanda as far as you are concerned it’s all about you. your family has supported you in that view as well as most of the moronic American press….it has done you no favors.

Rest in peace Meredith, this was always really about you and not everyone has forgotten that.

Posted by mojo on 10/03/11 at 06:46 PM | #

Please post any news immediately on here when it is received.  I will only look at this website to see the verdict.  I will not be able to stand reading any American news site.  If people cheer in the courtroom afterwards, it will be so devastating for the Kerchers but I know they will only react calmly.  Nothing will bring back their daughter.  They only want to know what happened in order to have closure. But if they get off now, they get off.  We have no control over the outcome that is for sure.  Thank you to all who provided the information on this extensive website, especially the translations of the report.  Otherwise I would have no idea of why the verdicts were guilty in the first place.  I can’t imagine how much time it took to do all that translating.  Thank you

Posted by believing on 10/03/11 at 07:03 PM | #

““I am paying with my on life”” Anyone knows the real Italian words she used?

Posted by Beevor on 10/03/11 at 10:28 AM | #

She says “...ed io sto pagando con la mia vita per cose che non ho commesso.”

“...and I am paying with my life for things that I haven’t done.”


I’m so nervous I feel sick and tearful.

Posted by janeelisabeth on 10/03/11 at 07:23 PM | #

PMF and TJMK are both struggling to cope with the huge numbers of people reading the websites. Too many people are refreshing the page constantly. PMF should be back online shortly.

Posted by The Machine on 10/03/11 at 07:32 PM | #

Too bad about the crashing, I do not understand this as the website says the peak viewing was 21,000 at one point so not sure how it coped with that?  Thanks for keeping us informed.  So much debate on the American news websites - people on both sides.  Those for the defense are totally misinformed ie. stating that no DNA was found of the two defendants at all.

Posted by believing on 10/03/11 at 08:24 PM | #
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