Amanda Knox freed

collegeshopping · October 3, 2011, 9:55pm

IMO she should not have been charge with or convicted of slander either. This “slander” or admission on her part was a direct result of illegal questioning. POSTERS HERE NEED TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON THIS CASE…Especially sympathic posters from England. The media in England has spun this case to make sure MK is front and center, and you know what…they should. MK’s parents don’t want to dig for the truth. They want their daughter to have justice. But AK parents have dug for the truth. Steve Moore, a FBI agent, reviewed this case and here are details about her questioning in Italy.

Before you read this excerpt from Steve Moore, please have the knowledge in your brain that the prosecutor (Lead Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini) in this case was CONVICTED five months ago in Italy (Florence) for conducting illegal investigations. He is appealling the conviction. The story behind this conviction is bizzare and anyone of reasonable mind can conclude this prosecutor creates motives and scenieros in his pea brain and tries to get cases to fit into his mold. Almost as if he is a director of a movie. If anything good comes from this nightmare it will be that he will not practice again.

About that police interview…

*Amanda Knox was interrogated repeatedly in the five days following the murder of Meredith Kercher. Amanda consistently told the same story over and over again. She repeatedly told the truth.

In the early morning hours of November 6, 2007, the questioning became much more aggressive. Amanda was in a situation that she had absolutely no control of. She was thousands of miles from home, In a country where she had a very limited knowledge of the language. She was confronted by aggressive police officers who were accusing her of a horrible crime that she didn’t commit. Amanda was terrified.

Amanda did not have a lawyer present during her interrogation. She was told it would be worse for her if she did. Amanda was told that she was being questioned as a witness but she was clearly being interrogated as a suspect. Italian law is very clear, no suspect is to be interrogated with out the presence of an attorney. The interrogation of Amanda Knox was illegal.

Interrogators are known to use several techniques to manipulate innocent suspects into self-incrimination. Over long periods of time, interrogators play mind games to confuse the suspect. One technique is to ask the suspect to imagine hypothetical scenarios. The interrogators feed the information that they want the suspect to imagine. Over long a long drawn out interrogation, the suspect gets confused and starts trying to comply with the request being made to imagine the scenarios. This is exactly what they did to Amanda Knox.

Physical force was also used on Amanda and she was lied to intentionally to make her believe the police had evidence against her.

Amanda stated in court testimony that she was repeatedly slapped on the back of her head and called a stupid liar. The interrogator who slapped Amanda told her that she was trying to help her to remember. Amanda was told that they had proof that she was at the crime scene at the time of the murder. This was a lie. She was told that she was going to prison for 30 years and she would never see her family again.

Amanda was told that her boss, Patrick Lumumba was the man that attacked Meredith. She did not give Patrick’s name to the police. His name was suggested to her.

The police took a text message on Amanda’s phone out of context. The text from Amanda to Patrick, “see you later” was taken literally by investigators. In the US, this phrase, in the context that it was written, simply means goodbye. The police told Amanda the text meant that she planned on meeting Patrick on the night of the murder. The police also left out the second part of the message, “good night.” When you put the phrase together, it explains the meaning even more clearly. Amanda had no intention of meeting Patrick that night. She was simply saying goodbye to Patrick in the text.

The interrogators told Amanda to imagine she was at the cottage. She was told to imagine that Patrick committed the crime. None of it seemed possible to Amanda. She tried to explain to the police that none of what they were saying made any sense. She knew that she was not at the cottage at the time of the murder. She had repeatedly told the interrogators the truth and now they wanted her to imagine something completely different.

The interrogators kept telling her over and over again to imagine that she was there. When she still could not imagine what they were saying, she was slapped across the back of her head.

Once again she was told to imagine that she was there. She still could not do it. She knew what they were telling her was simply not true. She was scared and confused. After many hours of interrogation, with nothing to drink, exhaustion started kicking in. Amanda was trying to remember, she was trying to help but it just did not seem possible.

Then came another slap across the back of her head! You stupid liar! You were in the cottage! You will spend 30 years in prison! You are protecting a murderer! You will never see your family again! You will imagine that this happened!

This abuse went on for hours until Amanda was finally broken. She was desperate to end the questioning. She was extremely confused and she could not take anymore abuse.

Suffering from extreme exhaustion with no food nor water, after a long and grueling interrogation, twenty year old college student Amanda Knox gave in to the interrogators demands by describing an imaginary dream or vision. In this vision, she was in the kitchen covering her ears to block out screams while the man she worked for, Patrick Lumumba, was in Meredith’s bedroom.

This so called confession was typed out by the police. The confession was not written by Amanda Knox. At least 12* members of the police force interrogated Amanda. Why was it necessary for 12 people to interrogate a 20 year old female college student?

Why were so many members of the Italian police force available to assist in an all night interrogation?*

**world wide web Injustice in Perugia dot org<a href=“EDUCATE!!”>/b</a>

katliamom · October 3, 2011, 9:56pm

Dionysus58, have class and give us a break. We’re American parents with children very much like Amanda. Who among us here hasn’t though of their own child in her situation? Is it really so inconceivable to you that we’re glad Amanda Knox is out of prison and reunited with her family?

Dionysus58 · October 3, 2011, 10:10pm

No, I mean Amanda Knox. I want to know had she been a man would there have been the massive PR campaign in the US? I doubt it. Raffaele Sollecito has been almost forgotten in all this, in a sense he almost doesn’t matter; it was all about Knox from day 1 because she’s a she, the femme fatale, the Alice in wonderland.

She didn’t accuse the man under duress. She claims she admitted she was present in the house when Kercher was killed because police were pressuring her. Again, separate events.

Why are you suggesting Kercher’s family doesn’t want the truth? Of course they do, they said so in their interview yesterday - have you even seen it? Knox’s parents did what any loving parent would do, would they have done anything differently if they knew their daughter was guilty? No.

katliamom · October 3, 2011, 10:20pm

For someone who claims to be unbiased (unlike us dumb ass yanks) you sure do make more than your share of assumptions…

collegeshopping · October 3, 2011, 10:20pm

Yes, I did see the interview. Yes, they want the truth, but they are not willing to dig for it. Why would they. Jesus, they have lost their daughter. They are lost in the rabbit hole, they want justice, but are so distraught and have been so sold on a motive that had no place. They are tired and hurt. But Amanda Knox had the ability to be saved. How would you feel if a child you loved, was being prosecuted by a man who has faced misconduct on how he has done his job. I have read thousands of pages on this case…the good, the bad and the ugly…

Yes. She. Did. And not only that, she was in Italy for only a few months with a few years of school house Italian under her belt. She was given no translator at her “questioning.” How would you fair if you were questioned in a language you didn’t have a firm grasp on? This whole case was handled in an appalling manner for both AK and RS. And the whole time the prosecutor is playing MK’s family because they actually believed in him and he has as much honesty in him as a snake in the grass.

poetgrl · October 3, 2011, 10:23pm

Dionysus–

Yes, absolutely, you should have seen the howl that went up on this board about the Duke Lacrosse players and the lack of evidence. the rush to judgement. I have been pointed to that thread before by people who were posting here at the time. Every one of the accused in that case was a young man, not a young woman.

I think your point is true. I do not believe Amanda Knox would have ever been accused of this crime had she not been a relatively attractive young American. And, conversely, it might have been more challenging for her parents to keep the story in the public eye in the US had she not been the same.

As I said in my original post on this thread, I feel horrible for those parents of the victim. Such a long time, so many stories, but I do not hold Amanda Knox or Raphael responsible for the irresponsible police and forensic work, or the fantasies of this delusional prosecutor. I hope when Amanda Knox finally speaks of this, she also speaks of the pain of losing a friend, which, by the way, she did in her speech to the jury.

Pea · October 3, 2011, 10:40pm

Let’s all remember that Dionysus58 has seen quite different coverage of this story than we have and give her a break. I was quite stunned by her reactions and it wasn’t until I noticed she was from London that I realized why. It’s eye opening, and very educational to see how the different way a story is covered affected one’s belief in what really happened.

This is an interesting question. There are so many wrongfully imprisoned people all over the world whose story doesn’t capture the public attention the way this one has. Why this story? Why this person? I think it is something about Amanda. She is very beautiful and the camera loves her and she captured all our hearts. She could be any of our daughters. We want to believe something like this could never happen in our family but we look at Amanda and know but for the grace of God it was them and not us.

You are wrong to think we are undiscerning and blindly believing in her innocence. When I first heard the story four years ago I thought she was some crazy person who was guilty. It was probably two years ago when I really started following the story that I came to believe she is innocent. Today, a day when justice was set right was a great day.

blankmind · October 3, 2011, 10:56pm

This is the question you asked, and yes, I believe implicitly that Raffaele Sollecito is also innocent, so that is the answer to your question.

If Raffaele were an American, then yes, there would probably been the same massive PR campaign in the US.

kluge · October 3, 2011, 11:09pm

“Femme fatale?” This is what I was referring to when I referenced the not-so-subtle undercurrent of misogyny in this case.

And yes - the (male) Duke Lacrosse players who were victims of a similar (but less successful) abuse of police and prosecutorial power were defended here far more vigorously than Amanda Knox - although that prosecution had its supporters, too.

Dionysus58, a couple of things shine bright and clear through your posts: 1) you’ve never been in prison; and 2) you have no idea how easy it is for experienced police interrogators to get a young person to say almost anything, given enough time.

The police and the prosecutor are the villains here. Everyone but Meredith Kercher and her actual murderer, Rudy Guede, have been their victims - Lumumba, Solecito, Knox, and, yes - Meredith Kercher’s family, who were dragged through a brutal and pointless hoax, required to relive their daughter’s death in numerous fictional iterations based on nothing but the prosecutor’s delusional fantasies.

wrldtravlr · October 4, 2011, 1:09am

It appears that whatever a person’s experiences, culture, fears, and prejudices are may lead that person to their own truths in these types of stories, and information can be found to validate that. If a person identifies with the woman accused in this story, it may become quite personal and emotional, as this thread can attest to. Others from different areas of the world may identify more with the victim. I guess this story has made me reflect on two things: 1)Where am I getting my information from, how reliable is it, and how am I filtering this information? and 2) This has made me understand much better the African Americans who identified with OJ Simpson during that acquittal. And before I get flamed, this is an observation from someone who has not really followed the Merideth Kercher murder/Amanda Knox trial compared to others on this thread, and has no strong opinion either way, except that the reaction of both acquittals seem somewhat similar in their respective culture and class, and that maybe the truth is somewhere in that gray area in between. YMMV

Dad_of_3 · October 4, 2011, 6:24am

^^ WT, you have said exactly what’s on my mind. Like you, I don’t have much knowledge about this case, and the way we have such polarized opinions, suggests that there’s a lot of truth in your first statement. Never thought about OJ till you brought up the analogy, and you’re on to something.

parentofpeople · October 4, 2011, 7:34am

If I were Amanda’s parents, there is no way I would have spent the night in Italy. I would have had her out of that country the fastest way possible. Who knows what they would charge her with next, or if the “appeal” would be rushed through and they would try to hold her again. Probably would have skipped London too, where there was not a lot of support for Amanda. I wouldn’t be sure how much they would protect her if Italy tried to force her back.

I realize that is probably being totally paranoid, but really I would not have taken any chances at that point. The only reason I can think of is they had to wait for the embassy to get her a new passport but I would hope the embassy would have a way to expedite that process for them.

sewhappy · October 4, 2011, 9:25am

Kind of validates me in my hesitance to join in the study abroad mania. I just never felt that comfortable with sending my kids all over the planet during college. The world can be a dangerous place out there. Sure, sure. It’s broadening and all. But so much of it goes on these days, some of it really questionable, imo. For example, at my older one’s college, lots of premeds head off to Africa and S America to work in Aids clinics and outreach efforts Well, okay. That’s really cool. But is it really necessary to prove your love of fellow man and desire to be a doctor? We were lukewarm and our premed kid found plenty to do on this continent to gain exposure to healthcare and help people a bit. What is this insistence that a “global perspective” only comes from traveling the globe? There is an entire cosmos of humanity just outside our doorway right here in the US. Can our kids not start there while they are so young? There is so much right here in the US that most American 20-somethings have not even begun to encounter and understand. Why must they go abroad?

I like travel, especially Europe. I’m not against it. I do question the mania over college study abroad, however.

That said, I’m very glad Amanda is free and her family has her back. It is just an appalling case.

Hunt · October 4, 2011, 9:25am

I do think it’s fair to note that people in the US are much more interested in Knox than in Solecito–she’s an American. Would the attention have been the same if she were a male American? Probably not, because it wouldn’t have been as attractive as a news story. Plus, I think people would have been more likely to think that a man was really guilty of the crime–fair or not. It’s just more common for a man to do something like this than a woman.

I always try to see both sides of any case–in this one, though, it’s pretty hard to see the other side of the case at this point, unless there is a lot of information that hasn’t been made public.

thumper1 · October 4, 2011, 9:55am

Oh for heaven’s sake Sewhappy…Study abroad and service abroad are not bad things. Students need to be careful about their choices, for sure. But there is nothing in this story to suggest that study abroad programs should be reduced…there is PLENTY about being cautious in another country. The biggest issue here was that this young lady did not have a lawyer from the get go.

I sent a kid to London for a study abroad less than a month after the bombings in the Tube. If we live our lives in fear…and don’t educate our kids about being careful and prudent, we are short changing them in a BIG way.

sewhappy · October 4, 2011, 9:58am

Thumper,

My point is that there is a great deal in this huge country of ours that is very exotic and alien to most of our kids. I sometimes question the big need to put them on a flight to a different continent to gain an expanded perspective.

Also, I have to say that my son and his friends regarded study abroad as mostly an opportunity to party where the drinking age is lower.

MomofWildChild · October 4, 2011, 10:14am

Well, maybe I’m just dumb, but it seems like “global” DOES require being outside of the US! Am I missing something?

I agree that there is a lot of need here in the US, but no matter where you go, you aren’t going to be too far from a McDonald’s or an internet cafe.

Neither of my kids went abroad, but both have done a little travel abroad. I, however, have done mission work in Central America, and I can assure you that the experience can not be duplicated in the US. I can understand a young person wanting to see a different culture and learn firsthand what other parts of the world are like. My son in law (a doctor) is doing a rotation in Africa in January. It’s not easy, but the rewards are great. It is hard for many people to get out of their comfort zones-I’m one of them- and I think it’s great when young people take this step.

Hunt · October 4, 2011, 10:20am

I do think it’s a word to the wise for kids to realize that other countries are not like the US in very important ways.

Heck, you need to be careful even in different parts of this country. As we’ve learned here recently, you need to watch out whether you are saying “sir” or “ma’am” to the wrong person (or not saying it).

sewhappy · October 4, 2011, 10:28am

Global can begin in your own neighborhood. We often live very socially fragmented, isolated lives in this country and know very little of what goes on just a few streets over from us.

I guess I am partly a little dubious of some of my parent friends who assume that by sending their kids on a study abroad gig that now their kid is really global. It’s the cynic in me.

MomofWildChild · October 4, 2011, 10:30am

Global is NOT in your own neighborhood. Yes, it is important to increase our exposure to different parts of our communities and country, but that is NOT global- it is LOCAL.

Amanda Knox freed

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