Considerable Outrage In Italy Over PR Death Profiteering


Richard Owen of the Times reports.

A film starring Amanda Knox, the American student awaiting trial for the murder of Meredith Kercher, has caused a political row, with rightwing politicians claiming the Perugia prison where Ms Knox is held is “like a holiday camp”.

Pietro Laffranco, a Parliamentary deputy in the ruling centre-right coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi, said he was tabling a question in Parliament to the Minister of Justice to demand an explanation over “this extremely serious incident”.

Follow the Italian press coverage for any length of time, and you will soon realize one thing.  Meredith is an intensely loved and very-much-missed person, to many, many Italians.

She hungered to be there, worked hard to get there, spoke very good Italian, knew much of the politics and culture, and just loved being in Perugia with its fine School for Foreigners.

And with her Mediterranean beauty, her kind consideration for others, her chaste behavior, and her zeal for hard work, she seems very, very easy for Italian moms and dads to identify with as one of their own.

So not surprisingly, the public outrage over the prison movie reflected in today’s Italian press is considerable, and it seems likely to create real repercussions.

The movie itself is unlikely to ever see the light of day. Those involved have been seriously thrown on the defensive, and they are likely to see career repercussions. The rules may be tightened for defendants and prisoners interacting with the media. The leniency that some feel Umbria shows to its prisoners may become less-so.

And Amanda Knox (who, to be fair, did not initiate this exposure, and should have been warned by her lawyers and family) may find herself more secluded if she is eventually found guilty.

In sum, this looks like a humane and perhaps overdue tilt in the system and the media toward Meredith, the silent victim in this case. And toward all silent victims like her.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 12/12/08 at 05:37 PM in Defendants in court,  Amanda Knox,  News media & movies,  Excellent reporting

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Comments

Thank you. The “voice” of this blog is meaning so much to me.

Posted by Marie on 12/12/08 at 07:46 PM | #

Thanks for the update, Fast Pete. It is reassuring to see that this is generating discussion and controversy.

I doubt most people object to the use of public funds to do rehabilitative work in the prisons, but that is not really the issue, is it?

Let’s hope that this movie doesn’t acquire cult status, or that a bootleg version doesn’t become available outside the usual channels.

And thank you for devoting some space and time to Meredith Kercher.

Posted by Skeptical Bystander on 12/12/08 at 08:15 PM | #

How desparate?! those who initiated the making of the film, and those who agreed to participate in it!
Pathetic, outrageous, and utterly desparate! these people are so far removed from reality that they see no one, and have regard for nothing other than their own selves. Why are psychos so self-obssessed? I guess because self-obssession leads to psychosis.

Posted by Socrates42 on 12/13/08 at 11:36 PM | #
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