Italian High Court Upholds Amanda Knox's Conviction
Back in Court: Knox's Ongoing Legal Battle
Amanda Knox is back in Italy's legal spotlight. After spending nearly two decades navigating trials, appeals, and retrials, the 37-year-old American found herself back in court once again. This time, she was hoping to clear her name for good. But in January 2025, Italy's highest court proved to have other plans.
The Case That Changed Everything: 2007 Trial and Arrest
Amanda Knox was a 20-year-old exchange student in Perugia in 2007 when her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher, was murdered, sparking a media frenzy. Italian authorities quickly focused on Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, citing inconsistencies in their alibis and Knox's unusual behavior. Five days later, they were arrested and charged along with acquaintance Rudy Guede, an Ivorian national.
The Accusation That Haunts Her: Lumumba's Involvement
Under immense pressure during an aggressive 53-hour police interrogation (without an interpreter or legal counsel), Knox accused local bar owner and her former boss, Patrick Lumumba, of the murder. According to Forbes, Knox claimed, "She was coerced by police into implicating Lumumba" while being slapped repeatedly and told to "Remember, remember." Lumumba was arrested and spent two weeks in jail before an alibi cleared him.
In 2009, Knox and Sollecito were convicted. Knox received 26 years, Sollecito 25. Meanwhile, Rudy Guede, whose DNA was reportedly found on Kercher's body, was sentenced to 30 years, later reduced to 16 on appeal.
The Appeal That Changed Everything: 2011 Acquittal
In 2011, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito appealed their convictions before the Court of Appeals in Perugia. The trial was widely criticized for its fairness and handling of forensic evidence.
Independent experts reviewed the DNA evidence and reportedly found it unreliable, citing contamination issues with a knife found at Sollecito's apartment and Kercher's bra clasp — key pieces in the original conviction of Knox and Sollecito. The defense also argued that intense media coverage, which painted Knox as a manipulative femme fatale, had unfairly influenced the case.
On October 3, 2011, the court overturned their convictions due to insufficient evidence and flawed forensic work. Knox was acquitted and returned to the U.S., while Sollecito resumed life in Italy.
A Legal Yo-Yo
In 2013, the Italian Supreme court ruled that Knox and Sollecito had to stand trial again. Both Knox and Sollecito maintained their innocence. Then, in 2014, the two were convicted of murder charges once more, with the court upping Knox's sentence to 28 years and 6 months. Yet again, in 2015, Italy's Supreme court overturned the convictions, exonerating Knox and Sollecito.
The Slander Conviction That Won't Go Away
Despite finally being cleared of murder, the slander conviction lingered. Knox took the case to the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled in 2023 that her rights had been violated during the interrogation. That should have been the end of it, but in 2024, a retrial upheld the slander conviction, leading to her final appeal before the Court of Cassation in January 2025.
The Verdict Is In: 2025 Appeal to Overturn Slander
Knox's latest appeal sought to overturn her slander conviction for falsely accusing her former boss, Patrick Lumumba, of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, back in 2007. However, on January 23, 2025, the high court upheld the conviction, as reported by PEOPLE.
Knox took to X to vent her frustration with the decision, posting, "It's a surreal day. I've just been found guilty yet again of a crime I didn't commit. And I was just awarded the Innocence Network Impact Award, 'created to honor an exonerated person who raises awareness of wrongful convictions, policy issues, or assists others post-release,'" CNN reports.
Lumumba's Response: The Long Road to Vindication
Lumumba feels vindicated. Speaking outside court, he made it clear that he's still waiting for an apology. According to CNN, he told reporters that Knox "never apologized to me." To this day, Lumumba has not forgiven Knox for the false accusation and the damage it caused to his life and business.
What's Next for Knox? Legal Battles and the Future
PEOPLE reports that Knox won't be heading back to prison because the three-year sentence was covered by time already served. Yet, this conviction remains a stubborn stain on her record. The verdict is final, meaning Knox's legal battles in Italy are officially over unless she finds another way to appeal.
For now, Amanda Knox's name will not be fully cleared. But if history has shown us anything, this case has a way of coming back to life.
References: Amanda Knox's Slander Case in in the Hands of an Italian Court: Here's What to Know | Amanda Knox slander conviction upheld by Italy's high court | The Amanda Knox Case: A Detailed Examination of a Controversial Legal Saga | Amanda Knox Convicted Of Slander In Italy—What We Know About The Man She Wrongly Accused Of Murder | Timeline: Meredith Kercher murder case
