I’ve sat in countless Crown Court cases and sometimes been unsure of a defendant’s innocence or guilt. Some people can be so accomplished and skilled at fabricating a story that they really believe it is true and give a very convincing performance in the witness box. I used to discuss this with solicitors who told me a person can easily convince themselves that a lie they have made up to protect themselves is, in fact, the truth, and can make others believe it too.
Following the surprise acquittal of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of Meredith Kercher’s murder, there is a strong need for justice to be done, and that matters cannot rest until the truth is discovered.
Therein lies the problem. As the police investigation and forensics were obviously flawed, and Meredith was a British citizen, why can’t our boys from the Met be sent over to review the case? A fresh pair of eyes and an uncluttered mind free of any preconceptions or prejudice might make all the difference.
For Foxy Knoxy, it could be the answer to her dreams if they uncover evidence for an appeal which will corroborate the jury’s verdict.
I still think Ms. Knox is as guilty as hell. Despite how shabbily the case was handled, that doesn’t change my opinion based on the original evidence.How sad for the Kercher family to still have no resolution. Yes, send the Met over.
Anyway, it is so nice to be able to post with you again. Have missed you and your wisdom.
I like the idea of giving Knox ‘what she wants’. A proper investigation to clear her name properly.
Things seem rather sus about that chap Dewani despite my belief at one point that he was innocent.
Kevin, there are so many doubters out there (including me) and if an appeal is held, it needs a fresh pair of eyes to examine the evidence which will be convincing.
I thought Dewani was innocent too because of their beautiful wedding pictures, it seems impossible that he would want to kill his new bride.
Wine, music, friends, clothes, good naturedness, attractive people (especially the wedded) … all of those things would have been present at that wedding and a dreamy feeling would have enveloped the whole place I’m sure.
In fact I can’t say I’ve ever seen wedding photos where I’ve thought “You know what ? I reckon he’s going to end up killing her.”
However, I’ve been to a few weddings where – knowing the background – I’ve not known why they’re doing it. They’ve been great events – as though issues are overlooked or pushed to one side for the day.
And the other thing. Attractive people are viewed with less suspicion for some reason.
It’s so unfair. It definitely makes life easier to be good looking. No wonder people go under the knife and are prepared to pay a lot of money doing so.
Hi Ian, nice to hear form you again. I think the lack of confidence in the investigation requires our boys in blue to get to the bottom of it.
Ellee: For some reason, I don’t feel that I have enough of the facts in this case. I only hope she was sent home innocent. The case labored on for years. I ask. Why is that? For the victim’s family sake, I agree with you about a fresh pair of eyes from the Met to re-examine the situation.
Foxy Knoxy will join OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson as people who were clearly guilty, but managed to get away with it.
My Journal was restored today. The Blogger robots had decided two weeks ago that it was a spam blog and deleted it. I had to go through an appeal to get it reinstated. They did so today, apologising for any inconvenience caused!
Ellee, I quite agree with you that what cases like this (indeed, all criminal investigations) could do with is ‘an uncluttered mind free of any preconceptions or prejudice’. The lack of anything like impartiality has led to miscarriages of justice in far too many British cases. There have been so many incidents reported of the investigating magistrate behaving unfairly towards Knox that this appeal decision shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone who has followed the case.
It is depressing to see so many UK and US commentators siding firmly for or against Knox with precious little reason beyond a misplaced jingoism. I can’t believe any of them would be happy for their own innocence to be judged in such a cavalier fashion. For what it is worth (not a lot) I’d guess the current reported state of the evidence is balanced in favour of Knox’s innocence, but the one sure thing is that with or without the interference of the Met the Italian system is unlikely to make things any clearer.
Hi George, how nice to hear from you. I think there are many unanswered questions about evidence and changed statements. Is it naive to expect if someone is innocent, that they only have one story to tell which they stick to throughout, without implicating innocent people? In this case, Knox was convicted of slander because of her lies?
I don’t think Knox killed Meredith, women tend not to use brutal force when they murder but rely on poison, and she is blond and pretty and knew how to appeal to the jury. Maybe the Italian judicial system was in her favour.
All very intriguing.
Alabaster, please can you refrain from being offensive to others when you put your point of view across. It will only make you appear to be the one with a few marbles missing.
Ellee, you ask “Is it naive to expect…?” Maybe not naive, but it is definitely mistaken. In everyday life people lie or do stupid things, change their stories and make things worse for themselves, for all sorts of different reasons – even the most sensible of us (and even politicians). So, if a 20-year old, in a foreign country, whose flat-mate has been brutally murdered, is arrested, not allowed to speak to a lawyer, and interrogated hour after hour after hour (14 hours I think) by investigators who are minded to reach conclusions aboout her guilt even before they identify the bloody fingerprints left all over the scene; is it really a surprise if she is coaxed or coerced into saying something wrong?
Personally I think it is adding insult to injury then to accuse her of slander. And we haven’t even mentioned the magistrate’s own conviction last year for which he was given, I believe, a 16 month suspended sentence.
No, the more I think about it the more I feel Miss Knox got a very rough deal from the Italian judicial system.
Thanks again George, you should have been Miss Knox’s solicitor. But imagine if everyone who made false accusations were accused of slander, how much other business would the courts get done? I am still not convinced about her innocence and still need to be convinced.
Ellee,be careful what you wish for. If everyone who made allegations which might be false was to be investigated for slander, the courts and the police would have no time to deal with anything else: there’d be a detective somewhere reading your headline and wondering whether to knock on your door and toss you in a cell with ‘Jean-Luc Picard’ and Ian Lidster.