Amanda Knox, the American student who spent years embroiled in a high-profile murder trial in Italy, has been re-convicted of slander. An Italian court on Wednesday found Knox guilty of falsely accusing a man of killing her roommate, Meredith Kercher, in 2007.
Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were initially convicted of murdering Kercher in a sensationalized trial that captivated the world. However, both were ultimately acquitted after appeals exposed flaws in the investigation.
This latest slander conviction stems from statements Knox made to police early in the investigation, where she named a bar owner, Patrick Lumumba, as a suspect. The court determined these accusations to be false and defamatory.
However, the verdict comes with no additional jail time for Knox. She served nearly four years in prison before her murder conviction was overturned, and the three-year sentence for slander is considered time served.
Knox’s lawyer has indicated they will likely appeal the decision. The lingering legal issues surrounding the Kercher murder case continue to shadow Knox, despite her acquittal on the murder charge itself.
