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Arline Kercher, the mother of murdered student Meredith Kercher, sister Stephanie Kercher and her brother Lyle Kercher hold a press conference prior to the verdict in the appeal of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito's murder convictions, Oct. 3, 2011, in Perugia, Italy.
LONDON – Don’t forget the real victim. That is the message from the family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher as family members spoke out today, concerned that all the focus on the guilt or innocence of American Amanda Knox has overshadowed Kercher’s death.
The 21-year student from England was found in her apartment in Perugia, Italy, with her throat slit in November 2007. Since then, the case has transfixed media in the Italy, the U.S. and England.
“Meredith has been almost forgotten in all this,” said her surviving sister, Stephanie Kercher. “It’s very difficult to keep her memory alive in all this.”
With a mass of media assembled in Perugia as Knox awaited the jury’s verdict on her appeal of a 26-year murder sentence, the Kercher family spoke out, concerned that “media hype” was in danger of overwhelming the facts in the case. They refused to talk about Knox’s guilt or innocence.
“It’s very difficult to understand what happened that night without knowing the truth,” Stephanie Kercher said, adding, “It would be very difficult to forgive anything at this stage.”
Meredith Kercher’s brother, Lyle Kercher, said the family had not wanted to speak publicly at this point, but felt compelled to do so to counter Amanda Knox’s “PR machine.”
Their mother, Arlene, said she has confidence in the Italian justice system.
“You have to go by the evidence because there’s is nothing else,” she said. “It is what the police have found, what the evidence is, and that’s all you can go on.”
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Posted by: Tear_It_Out | October 3, 2011, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
It is so disheartening and sad to watch the media circus raising hue and cry to save an American girl who has been alleged for killing her room mate. The court trial is going on in the most civilized western country and there is no need to worry about the outcome of the trail. If she is a killer she must be punished to the fullest extent of the laws and if she is innocent, the court will find out too. But why so much important to one person, when our guns, machinery, laws, even justice system is making mockery of our civilized value openly in the world day and nights. Did we send a single cold blooded killer of Iraq. Afghanistan to jail? No, then why we think that we are better human beings than others? or we feel that we are the most precious human beings, chosen human beings, who cannot be blamed or tried or alleged and punished for any CRIMES?
Posted by: john dahodi | October 3, 2011, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
Seriously, why do we care so much about this person? This case is almost as bad as the Casey Anthony case in Florida, US. By focusing on crimes and sensational situations like this we make ourselves into what we are – a dramtic and petty, backwards society.
Whether you think Amanda Knox should have been freed or not isn’t even an important question – what we should be asking is; isn’t there something more important to focus on, right here in our own communities?
Posted by: Tracy Bitting | October 3, 2011, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
Todays headlines.
Amanda Knox Free,
Amanda Knox Verdict,
Amanda Knox Free,
Amanda Knox,
Amanda Knox Verdict
How about “College Students freed”, “Knox and Sollecito free” Just seems odd that hardly anyone knows his name and he and his parents are now both broke, lives have been ruined for them just as they have for Amada’s. It was a terrible injustice for both of them, not just her.
You’d think to listen to the news that she was the only one to go threw this.
Posted by: CarolO | October 4, 2011, 12:01 am 12:01 am
Although there was some strange behavior by Amanda Knox after the murder, I believe the story of 2 college kids having “sex games” with a drifter they hardly knew is ludicrous. I feel so badly for the Kercher family. They have conducted themselves which poise and grace-in spite of all they have been through. I pray the truth will be revealed one day.
Posted by: Joan | October 4, 2011, 4:50 am 4:50 am
Knox and Solicito’s verdict was overturned, for lack of evidence, how was her bloody footprint found next to the body??????
Posted by: Lizzie | October 4, 2011, 3:00 pm 3:00 pm
Fine- Knox is acquitted so perhaps she’s innocent, but I couldn’t care less about that compared to my hopes that poor Meredith and her family eventually get justice. Now that the Knox part is over I hope the media stops covering that now irrelevant crap, and instead focuses on getting justice for the Kercher family.
Posted by: Brian | October 4, 2011, 11:24 pm 11:24 pm
The bloody footprint found next to the body was Guede’s footprint…The esteemed prosecutor, Mr. Magnini just floated another lie…This lie however, was refuted by Mr.Hellman…
Posted by: Betty Ellenburg | April 24, 2012, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm