- Title: ITALY: Mother of Amanda Knox, Edda Mellas attends slander trial in Perugia
- Date: 5th July 2011
- Summary: PERUGIA, ITALY (JULY 4, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COURT PERUGIA TRIBUNAL COURT SIGN EDDA MELLAS, MOTHER OF AMANDA KNOX, ARRIVING WITH AMANDA'S STEPFATHER AND LAWYER LUCIANO GHIRGA VARIOUS INSIDE COURTROOM CAMERAMEN INSIDE COURTROOM EDDA MELLAS SPEAKING WITH LAWYER LUCIANO GHIRGA MELLAS OUTSIDE COURT (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDDA MELLAS, MOTHER OF AMANDA KNOX, SAYING: "Well, I mean, this morning, I didn't have an interpreter, but I think Micheli, my judge, stepped down due to the conflict of interest with Amanda's case, which is interesting, because he's never ruled against me, but there's others, anyway, it's bizarre, but it's fine, it just means another delay. Last week's news for Amanda was great, the DNA report came back, it supported everything our experts have said all along. It's great news, that's a step forward, but she's still locked up, so we're still fighting for her." VARIOUS MELLAS OUTSIDE COURT
- Embargoed: 20th July 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy, Italy
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA8NEH3TLB48GIUUPPFQHZE20UD
- Story Text: The mother of American murder convict Amanda Knox appeared at a court on Monday (July 4) in Perugia for a slander trial brought against her and Amanda's father by Italian police.
Edda Mellas and Curt Knox are accused of saying to a British newspaper that Italian police treated their daughter poorly during interrogation over the murder of Briton Meredith Kercher.
Amanda herself accused police of beating her and prosecutors subsequently brought a slander case against them.
23-year-old Knox is currently serving 26 years in an Italian prison for killing her flatmate, British student Meredith Kercher in 2007.
Curt Knox, Amanda's father, did not attend the hearing.
At Monday's hearing the judge Paolo Micheli recessed himself as he was the judge for Amanda's pre-trial. The slander trial for Amanda's parents has been postponed to January 24, 2012 with another judge presiding, Italian media reported.
"I think Micheli, my judge, stepped down due to the conflict of interest with Amanda's case, which is interesting, because he's never ruled against me, but there's others, anyway, it's bizarre, but it's fine, it just means another delay," said Edda Mellas outside court.
Knox, whose murder trial created a global media sensation, was sentenced in December 2009 for her part in the murder of Kercher after what judges said was a frenzied sex game which spiralled out of control.
Kercher's partly unclothed body was found on November 2, 2007 locked in her blood-spattered bedroom in the house she shared with Knox and two other students in the university town of Perugia.
Knox's ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito and another man, Rudy Guede were also convicted for their part in the murder.
Knox recently won a legal victory as key DNA evidence for her incrimination was called into question in her appeal murder trial by an independent forensic team.
"Last week's news for Amanda was great, the DNA report came back, it supported everything our experts have said all along. It's great news, that's a step forward, but she's still locked up, so we're still fighting for her," said Mellas. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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