Amanda Knox, the American woman who was acquitted of murdering her housemate in Italy, faced another setback in an Italian court on Wednesday regarding slander charges linked to the 2007 case.
The court in Florence convicted Ms. Knox of slandering a man who ran a bar where she worked, accusing him of the murder of her housemate, Meredith Kercher. She was sentenced to three years in prison, time she has already served.
Initially found guilty in 2009, Ms. Knox’s conviction for slandering Diya Lumumba, also known as Patrick, was upheld by Italian courts. Lumumba ran a bar where Knox worked part-time at the time of the murder.
Following the ruling, Ms. Knox appeared distressed in court and declined to speak to reporters. Her lawyer expressed her disappointment and stated that she had hoped the trial would bring an end to years of legal proceedings.
The defense team plans to appeal the court’s decision once the full written ruling is released within 60 days.
During the hearing, Ms. Knox described the pressure she faced from the police in 2007, calling it “the worst night of my life.” She claimed she was bullied into accusing an innocent man of murder.
This latest development is part of a legal saga that began nearly 17 years ago with the murder of Meredith Kercher, a British student, in Italy.
Ms. Knox’s case gained international attention in 2007 when she was arrested for the murder along with her boyfriend at the time. Despite being convicted in 2009, she was later acquitted on appeal.
The legal battle continued for years, with a retrial ordered by Italy’s highest court in October. Ms. Knox returned to the United States in 2011 as the case unfolded in various courts.
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