British student Meredith Kercher was killed without premeditation and in the absence of any feelings of rancour towards her on the part of the perpetrators, says the long-awaited Judges’ report. The 427-page report, published on Friday and signed by trial judge Giancarlo Massei and his co-judge Beatrice Cristiani, states that there were no inconsistencies or gaps in the trial procedure and that Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted primarily on forensic evidence.
The Judges say that a combination of random circumstances led to Kercher’s murder: Knox and Sollecito happened to meet Guede on the night of November 1st 2007 and took him to the house that Knox shared with Kercher, where the British student was alone. There, according to the report, Guede made a sexual advance to Kercher, which she repelled. Under the influence of drugs, Knox and Sollecito then decided to “help” Guede make Kercher, who had been drinking, submit. Kercher fought back and a scene of horrific violence followed. Knox finally killed Kercher with a kitchen knife.
Knox, now 26, and Sollecito, now 25, were sentenced respectively to 26 and 25 years’ imprisonment. Knox received the extra year because she had knowingly accused an innocent man, Patrick Lumumba, of the murder. Lumumba spent two weeks in prison before being cleared.
Guede was found guilty of the murder in a fast-track trial behind closed doors in 2008 and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment. This was reduced to 16 years upon appeal. He still maintains that he is innocent.
The publication of the Judges’ report paves the way for Knox’s first appeal to take place. Under Italian law a convicted person is allowed two appeals.
