Amanda Knox to face retrial over Meredith Kercher murder

Italy's highest criminal court has overturned the acquittal of Amanda Knox for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher and ordered a new trial.

Yesterday Italian prosecutors has asked the high court to throw out the acquittal in the murder of 21-year-old Meredith.

The Court of Cassation in Rome heard six hours of arguments and spent several hours deliberating before announcing it would issue a decision this morning.

It means the Italian ex-boyfriend of Amanda Knox, Raffaele Sollecito, will also face a retrial.

The body of Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found in November

2007 in her bedroom at the house she shared with Knox and other

roommates in Perugia, an Italian university town where the two women

were exchange students. Her throat had been slashed.

Prosecutors alleged that the Leeds University student was the victim of a drug-fuelled sex game gone awry.

Knox and Sollecito denied wrongdoing. An Ivory Coast man, Rudy Guede, was convicted of the murder in a separate hearing and is serving a 16-year sentence.

Knox and Sollecito were initially found guilty of assaulting and killing Kercher in 2007 and sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison respectively.

In 2011, their convictions were overturned and they were released after serving four years.


                                           [Amanda Knox retrial: What happens now?]


In a statement this morning Amanda Knox said: "It was painful to receive the news that the Italian Supreme Court decided to send my case back for revision when the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair.

"I believe that any questions as to my innocence must be examined by an objective investigation and a capable prosecution.

"The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family.

"Our hearts go out to them. No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."


                                                            [Timeline of Meredith Kercher case]

Miss Kercher's older sister Stephanie Kercher said today: "There are a lot of unanswered questions still. We are very hopeful that it going back to court will help find those answers and find out the truth of what happened that night.

"Whilst we are not happy about going back to court, and it will not bring her back, we have to make sure we have done all we can for her.

"We still have a long journey ahead and we are very grateful for the support of the public and in Italy - we just want justice for Mez."