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Mother insists on Knox innocence | Mother insists on Knox innocence |
(9 minutes later) | |
The mother of Amanda Knox has said she "waits for the day" the family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher know her daughter is innocent. | The mother of Amanda Knox has said she "waits for the day" the family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher know her daughter is innocent. |
Edda Mellas told the BBC her daughter had "nothing to do with the crime" in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. | Edda Mellas told the BBC her daughter had "nothing to do with the crime" in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. |
US student Amanda Knox, 22, and Raffaele Sollecito, her former boyfriend, were found guilty of the murder by an Italian court in December. | US student Amanda Knox, 22, and Raffaele Sollecito, her former boyfriend, were found guilty of the murder by an Italian court in December. |
Rudy Guede, 22, was also jailed and is due to hear the result of his appeal. | Rudy Guede, 22, was also jailed and is due to hear the result of his appeal. |
The small-time drug dealer was sentenced to 30 years last October, and appealed against the sentence last month. | The small-time drug dealer was sentenced to 30 years last October, and appealed against the sentence last month. |
Miss Kercher, 21, a Leeds University student from Surrey, was found with her throat slit in November 2007. | Miss Kercher, 21, a Leeds University student from Surrey, was found with her throat slit in November 2007. |
'Media went crazy' | 'Media went crazy' |
Knox was sentenced on 4 December with her former Italian boyfriend - who was given 25 years. | Knox was sentenced on 4 December with her former Italian boyfriend - who was given 25 years. |
Knox and Sollecito had denied killing her, but prosecutors said Sollecito held her down while Knox stabbed her to death in what began as a drug-induced sex game. | Knox and Sollecito had denied killing her, but prosecutors said Sollecito held her down while Knox stabbed her to death in what began as a drug-induced sex game. |
Knox and Sollecito were found guilty of the murder of Meredith Kercher | Knox and Sollecito were found guilty of the murder of Meredith Kercher |
In the first UK interview since Knox was jailed for 26 years, Ms Mellas told BBC Radio 5 Live her daughter was "still in disbelief". | In the first UK interview since Knox was jailed for 26 years, Ms Mellas told BBC Radio 5 Live her daughter was "still in disbelief". |
She said she had had no contact with the Kercher family since the trial. | She said she had had no contact with the Kercher family since the trial. |
She said: "I wait for the day that they too know that Amanda had nothing to do with it... putting a girl in jail for a crime she didn't commit is not going to make them feel better." | She said: "I wait for the day that they too know that Amanda had nothing to do with it... putting a girl in jail for a crime she didn't commit is not going to make them feel better." |
She also partly blamed the media for influencing the result of the trial. | She also partly blamed the media for influencing the result of the trial. |
She said: "Part of the problem is the media, they went crazy at the beginning of this and made up this person who could have done this crime." | She said: "Part of the problem is the media, they went crazy at the beginning of this and made up this person who could have done this crime." |
She said her daughter, who is awaiting an appeal, has her "ups and downs" but gets 30 to 40 letters a day - and all but two have been supportive. | She said her daughter, who is awaiting an appeal, has her "ups and downs" but gets 30 to 40 letters a day - and all but two have been supportive. |
But she said the prison where Knox was being held was "noisy" and "cold". | But she said the prison where Knox was being held was "noisy" and "cold". |
'Huge misconception' | 'Huge misconception' |
Meredith Kercher was studying in Italy on an exchange programme | Meredith Kercher was studying in Italy on an exchange programme |
Ms Mellas said she had no idea why her daughter was prosecuted. | Ms Mellas said she had no idea why her daughter was prosecuted. |
"The prosecution himself said no motive, there was no physical evidence of Amanda in that room. There's nothing for Amanda, not a hair, footprint, nothing," she said. | "The prosecution himself said no motive, there was no physical evidence of Amanda in that room. There's nothing for Amanda, not a hair, footprint, nothing," she said. |
The prosecution's reliance on a DNA sample said to belong to Knox that was found on a knife at Sollecito's home should be questioned, she said. | The prosecution's reliance on a DNA sample said to belong to Knox that was found on a knife at Sollecito's home should be questioned, she said. |
"The biologist kept changing settings, then one human cell on this knife, said it's a match, all her notes said it was too low." | "The biologist kept changing settings, then one human cell on this knife, said it's a match, all her notes said it was too low." |
It was a "huge misconception" that her daughter, the "most gentle soul" who "took in stray animals and looked after the elderly", had changed her story, she said. | It was a "huge misconception" that her daughter, the "most gentle soul" who "took in stray animals and looked after the elderly", had changed her story, she said. |
"She always maintained she was at Raffaele's house, that she watched a movie," she said. | |
She also denied that her daughter had performed cartwheels in the police station when she was being questioned. | |
"She started to do some yoga, that turned into cartwheels," she said. | |
Knox's father, Curt Know, raised questions over DNA evidence in a TV interview recorded after the Italian court's verdict. | Knox's father, Curt Know, raised questions over DNA evidence in a TV interview recorded after the Italian court's verdict. |
He claimed his daughter's "human rights were violated" during 14 hours of questioning. | He claimed his daughter's "human rights were violated" during 14 hours of questioning. |
He was also critical of the reporting of the trial by the Italian and British media, saying his daughter "experienced literally a character assassination". | He was also critical of the reporting of the trial by the Italian and British media, saying his daughter "experienced literally a character assassination". |
At the time of the conviction, the family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher said they were "pleased" with the guilty verdicts but there was "no celebration". | At the time of the conviction, the family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher said they were "pleased" with the guilty verdicts but there was "no celebration". |