Their case was known worldwide and negotiated for years: Italy must pay more than 18,000 euros compensation to the US citizen Amanda Knox, who was convicted of murder and then acquitted. The Italian authorities had violated several of their human rights when questioning Knox ', the European Court of Human Rights ruled in Strasbourg.
The investigators had not pursued the allegations of the US-American. She was beaten and put under pressure by the police. In addition, Italy did not provide satisfactory reasons why Knox did not get a lawyer in 2007 during a crucial police interrogation. Thus, Italy has violated the right to a fair trial and the prohibition of ill-treatment. The verdict can be challenged within three months.
Knox was sentenced to 28 years and six months in prison for killing British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy in 2009. After nearly eight years of legal jail, she was acquitted. A verdict for false suspicion remained, however: Knox had accused the Italian judges of acquaintance of the murder of Kercher, although she knew about his innocence.
The American, however, argued before the Strasbourg court that she made this statement in shock after finding the dead and under the impact of police beatings. In addition, she had neither a lawyer nor an interpreter stood by the side.