Thursday, June 17, 2010

Commentary by The Most Widely-Read English-Language Website In Italy

Posted by Peter Quennell


The Knox campaign seems to have divided out into three pieces, none of them seemingly at all effective.

The ludicrously shrill David Marriott campaign, the ludicrously shrill Anne Bremner/FOA campaign, and the adolescent internet rantings of the Knox groupies. All three seem to be painting themselves into a corner.

Meanwhile, Amanda Knox’s two lawyers in Italy seem to be going their own sweet way, quite impervious to the above, and it is clear that the Massei sentencing report has given them very much food for thought.

Italian-language reports as they have mostly done for two-plus years vary between strict neutrality and the occasional caustic comment on Knox or Sollecito.

Italy’s biggest English-language internet outlet, read by tens of thousands of residents and visitors who don’t speak very much Italian. has also adopted the same cool objective tone.

This is today’s thoughtful, well written commentary by Rome Journal contributor Rebecca. 

We had closely followed the first trial, in which Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty of murdering her British flat mate, Meredith Kercher, in Perugia.

This was one of the most dramatic and internationally observed Italian trials of this decade, and Italy as the scene of crime and trial had come under close scrutiny, and had been at the centre of a bizarre media frenzy covering the case.

Now, Amanda Knox is back in court. She faces slander charges against the police, who she claims hit her during the questioning a few days after the killing in November 2007. Italian police strongly denied that Knox was subjected to any physical abuse, which is supported by an external inquiry.

If Knox is found guilty of slander, she could face another six years in jail, on top of the 26 years she is currently serving.

Knox’s defense lawyers filed a motion to prevent the presiding judge, Claudia Matteini, from hearing Knox’s slander case because of her involvement in the preliminary hearings into the murder. A hearing today will take the final decision about whether Matteini is the appropriate judge to hear this case. The trial is likely to start on October 1….

What is particularly unnerving about this case is the sense that much of the testimony is contradictory: All three convicted of the murder deny their involvement, but cannot explain their inconsistent testimonies, and keep changing their account of what happened on the night of the murder.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, a journalist who has followed the case from the start and has always provided excellent coverage and analysis, asks ten questions that Amanda Knox has never answered, even though they could set her free. That she never addressed them, indicates that her involvement in the murder may have been substantial.

Whether the lies aim to conceal that the convicted did partake in the murder ““ which frankly didn’t work ““ or whether they intend to cover up something else, remains a mystery. Any hints regarding the truth in this matter, even if they come from a separate trial, will be of high interest.

What are your thoughts on the trial? Why do you think Amanda Knox keeps lying? If she is truly innocent, why not tell the truth?

Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/17/10 at 08:35 PM in Defendants in court,  Amanda Knox,  The officially involved,  News media & movies,  Excellent reporting,  Hoaxes Knox & team,  20 No-PR hoax

Comments

That last sentence really nails it.

“If she is truly innocent, why not tell the truth?”

Posted by Nolongeramember on 06/17/10 at 09:45 PM | #

It won’t be Amanda telling the truth, her parents run the show and its all about saving face. If anyone talks, it will be RS or Rudi and even then, we won’t get the whole truth.

Posted by John on 06/17/10 at 09:46 PM | #

Following the convictions of Knox and Sollecito in December last year, there was a large number of blog articles written by naive people who had been manipulated and misinformed by the PR campaign.

Not surprisingly, these blog articles were badly-written and embarrassingly inaccurate.

It’s refreshing to read a well-written and objective blog article about the case. Rebecca asks the questions that many professional journalists should have asked:

Why do you think Amanda Knox keeps lying? If she is truly innocent, why not tell the truth?

Perhaps, one day the likes of Elizabeth Vargas, Maggie Rodriguez, Linda Byron and Oprah Winfrey will pluck up the courage and ask Amanda Knox’s parents these questions.

Posted by The Machine on 06/17/10 at 09:49 PM | #

Anne Bremner said, upon the “revelation” that a Mafiosi brother murdered Meredith. “this is either fantastic news or fantastical news”. No, Anne, the line is “that’s a crock”. Grasping at straws. Increasingly desperate. Any port in a storm.

Posted by Janus on 06/18/10 at 10:08 AM | #
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Or to next entry Why UK Media Deniers Like The Independent’s Amy Jenkins Come Across As Bigoted And Nasty

Or to previous entry Decision On Who Will Be Amanda Knox’s Judge At Her Forthcoming Slander Trial