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| Raffaele Sollecito: 'It's like Kafka, they play with my life,' says Italian facing retrial for killing of Meredith Kercher | Raffaele Sollecito: 'It's like Kafka, they play with my life,' says Italian facing retrial for killing of Meredith Kercher |
| (3 months later) | |
| After years of being depicted as a softly spoken figure in the courtrooms of Perugia, Raffaele Sollecito is getting angry. "It's outrageous," said the 29-year old former boyfriend of Amanda Knox who now faces a retrial, alongside the American student, for the murder of Meredith Kercher almost six years ago. | After years of being depicted as a softly spoken figure in the courtrooms of Perugia, Raffaele Sollecito is getting angry. "It's outrageous," said the 29-year old former boyfriend of Amanda Knox who now faces a retrial, alongside the American student, for the murder of Meredith Kercher almost six years ago. |
| "This is not living. I am in limbo, repeating the same thing over and over again. No one should be put through this," he told the Observer, days after Italy's supreme court explained in detail its rejection of an appeal court's decision to free the pair in 2011 – meaning that they face a retrial in Florence, possibly starting in October. | "This is not living. I am in limbo, repeating the same thing over and over again. No one should be put through this," he told the Observer, days after Italy's supreme court explained in detail its rejection of an appeal court's decision to free the pair in 2011 – meaning that they face a retrial in Florence, possibly starting in October. |
| As Knox continues her studies in Seattle and gives TV interviews to publicise her memoir, she can feel fairly confident that the US government would not allow her extradition if she were found guilty. | As Knox continues her studies in Seattle and gives TV interviews to publicise her memoir, she can feel fairly confident that the US government would not allow her extradition if she were found guilty. |
| But Sollecito's prospects are darker. Forced to leave Switzerland, where he was setting up a new life, following a legal dispute, the Italian last week launched an appeal on his Facebook page to raise €500,000 for court costs, which he said were only partly offset by proceeds from a book that he has written. | But Sollecito's prospects are darker. Forced to leave Switzerland, where he was setting up a new life, following a legal dispute, the Italian last week launched an appeal on his Facebook page to raise €500,000 for court costs, which he said were only partly offset by proceeds from a book that he has written. |
| The appeal, he said, has so far raised $6,000, mainly from US supporters. "I can ask people to lend a hand and anything left at the end of the battle I will give to charity," he said, but added, "My lawyers tell me that this will last another six to seven years, and we need to see how it plays out, but the money could cover just part of that." | The appeal, he said, has so far raised $6,000, mainly from US supporters. "I can ask people to lend a hand and anything left at the end of the battle I will give to charity," he said, but added, "My lawyers tell me that this will last another six to seven years, and we need to see how it plays out, but the money could cover just part of that." |
| His lawyers, led by the former MP Giulia Bongiorno, will face a challenge after the unusually tough document from the supreme court, explaining its decision in March to overrule the 2011 appeal court verdict. The appeal court had challenged DNA evidence and witnesses connecting Knox and Sollecito to the stabbing of Kercher – Knox's flatmate – who was found in a pool of blood in her bedroom in Perugia in November 2007. | His lawyers, led by the former MP Giulia Bongiorno, will face a challenge after the unusually tough document from the supreme court, explaining its decision in March to overrule the 2011 appeal court verdict. The appeal court had challenged DNA evidence and witnesses connecting Knox and Sollecito to the stabbing of Kercher – Knox's flatmate – who was found in a pool of blood in her bedroom in Perugia in November 2007. |
| After four years in jail, Knox and Sollecito were freed in 2011, leaving one man to serve time for the killing, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, whose undisputed DNA was found at the crime scene. Condemned to 30 years, his sentence was cut to 16 years on appeal. | After four years in jail, Knox and Sollecito were freed in 2011, leaving one man to serve time for the killing, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, whose undisputed DNA was found at the crime scene. Condemned to 30 years, his sentence was cut to 16 years on appeal. |
| The ruling by the supreme court judges last week criticised the appeal court for assuming Guede had acted alone, and went close to saying that they wanted Knox and Sollecito back in custody. "The reasoning behind the acquittal contains shortcomings, contradictions and inconsistencies," wrote the judges. "Too many questions remain unanswered." | The ruling by the supreme court judges last week criticised the appeal court for assuming Guede had acted alone, and went close to saying that they wanted Knox and Sollecito back in custody. "The reasoning behind the acquittal contains shortcomings, contradictions and inconsistencies," wrote the judges. "Too many questions remain unanswered." |
| Sollecito said that he was the innocent victim of an agonisingly slow justice system "I am the personification of a Kafka novel – other people are playing with my life." A long-standing player of video games, he said that he felt as if he was the helpless participant in a game, rather than a player. "They insert coins to make me move, but if I make one false move it's game over." | Sollecito said that he was the innocent victim of an agonisingly slow justice system "I am the personification of a Kafka novel – other people are playing with my life." A long-standing player of video games, he said that he felt as if he was the helpless participant in a game, rather than a player. "They insert coins to make me move, but if I make one false move it's game over." |
| He said that he found solace in a rare meeting with Knox last week, in New York, where they were photographed hugging and talking intently as they strolled Manhattan streets, chaperoned by Knox's mother, a few steps behind. | He said that he found solace in a rare meeting with Knox last week, in New York, where they were photographed hugging and talking intently as they strolled Manhattan streets, chaperoned by Knox's mother, a few steps behind. |
| "We felt better after talking about how unjust it is that this continues when a thousand pieces of evidence show Rudy Guede acted alone." | "We felt better after talking about how unjust it is that this continues when a thousand pieces of evidence show Rudy Guede acted alone." |
| While Knox is now living with a boyfriend in Seattle, Sollecito said that he had found it difficult to forge relationships since leaving jail. "I had a moment of joy in 2011, then depression when I realised my life would never be the same. | While Knox is now living with a boyfriend in Seattle, Sollecito said that he had found it difficult to forge relationships since leaving jail. "I had a moment of joy in 2011, then depression when I realised my life would never be the same. |
| "I have had chances to start relationships since, but they never went well – I have never been calm." | "I have had chances to start relationships since, but they never went well – I have never been calm." |
| Sollecito is now back at his father's house in Puglia after plans to make a new life in Lugano, Switzerland – working for a company publicising wrongful convictions – fell apart. He was forced to return to Italy because his residency application had failed to mention the ongoing trial. | Sollecito is now back at his father's house in Puglia after plans to make a new life in Lugano, Switzerland – working for a company publicising wrongful convictions – fell apart. He was forced to return to Italy because his residency application had failed to mention the ongoing trial. |
| "It all started with neighbours in Lugano complaining about the TV crews showing up at my house," he said. "I won't try and go back there after the door was slammed in my face." | "It all started with neighbours in Lugano complaining about the TV crews showing up at my house," he said. "I won't try and go back there after the door was slammed in my face." |
| He is now concluding a master's degree in software engineering to add to the degree in computer science that he obtained in jail, while preparing to attend the appeal hearings in Florence. | He is now concluding a master's degree in software engineering to add to the degree in computer science that he obtained in jail, while preparing to attend the appeal hearings in Florence. |
| Bongiorno will have to work doubly hard to prepare Sollecito's defence after the supreme court revived the suggestion that Kercher was killed when a group-sex game went wrong, and challenged the appeal court's handling of witnesses, as well as its opinion on the time Kercher was killed. | Bongiorno will have to work doubly hard to prepare Sollecito's defence after the supreme court revived the suggestion that Kercher was killed when a group-sex game went wrong, and challenged the appeal court's handling of witnesses, as well as its opinion on the time Kercher was killed. |
| Sollecito's father, Francesco, has criticised the decision of the supreme court, and claims to have spotted six factual errors in its reasoning. "The supreme court is meant to discuss points of law and procedure but has entered into the merits of the case, and made mistakes, but because it's the supreme court you can't appeal," he said. | Sollecito's father, Francesco, has criticised the decision of the supreme court, and claims to have spotted six factual errors in its reasoning. "The supreme court is meant to discuss points of law and procedure but has entered into the merits of the case, and made mistakes, but because it's the supreme court you can't appeal," he said. |
| Bongiorno said that the court's 74-page ruling was a "rare" example of the court digging into the evidence of a case. "We will try to argue against the ruling in Florence," said Carlo Dalla Vedova, a lawyer representing Knox. | Bongiorno said that the court's 74-page ruling was a "rare" example of the court digging into the evidence of a case. "We will try to argue against the ruling in Florence," said Carlo Dalla Vedova, a lawyer representing Knox. |
| The family of Kercher have made clear that they do not believe Guede killed their daughter alone. "I have no bitterness towards the Kercher family," said Sollecito. "But if they, or the court, don't want to believe that Guede was alone, then they need to find someone else." | The family of Kercher have made clear that they do not believe Guede killed their daughter alone. "I have no bitterness towards the Kercher family," said Sollecito. "But if they, or the court, don't want to believe that Guede was alone, then they need to find someone else." |
| ON TRIAL | ON TRIAL |
| November 2007 Meredith Kercher, 21, pictured right, an exchange student from Coulsdon, Surrey, is found dead in the flat she shared in Perugia, Italy, with US student Amanda Knox. Knox, 20, is arrested along with her Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 23 and local barman Patrick Lumumba, after Knox implicates Lumumba in what police believe was a sex game gone wrong. Lumumba provides an alibi and is freed. | November 2007 Meredith Kercher, 21, pictured right, an exchange student from Coulsdon, Surrey, is found dead in the flat she shared in Perugia, Italy, with US student Amanda Knox. Knox, 20, is arrested along with her Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 23 and local barman Patrick Lumumba, after Knox implicates Lumumba in what police believe was a sex game gone wrong. Lumumba provides an alibi and is freed. |
| October 2008 Rudy Guede is sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the killing, reduced to 16 years on appeal, after he admits being at the scene. | October 2008 Rudy Guede is sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the killing, reduced to 16 years on appeal, after he admits being at the scene. |
| December 2009 Knox and Sollecito sentenced to 26 years and 25 years for murder. | December 2009 Knox and Sollecito sentenced to 26 years and 25 years for murder. |
| October 2011 Knox and Sollecito are cleared on appeal after review finds errors in DNA evidence | October 2011 Knox and Sollecito are cleared on appeal after review finds errors in DNA evidence |
| March 2013 Supreme court orders retrial after finding fault in the verdict of appeal court. The new case will be held in Florence, possibly in October. | March 2013 Supreme court orders retrial after finding fault in the verdict of appeal court. The new case will be held in Florence, possibly in October. |
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