On November 2nd, 2007, news of a horrific crime shook the ancient and usually placid town of Perugia, Italy. A British student, Meredith Kercher - one of the thousands of students who attend Perugia's prestigious university and para-universitary courses - had been found dead in her bed, with her throat slit, after apparently being forced to engage in sex.
Soon after the murder, Kercher's roommate, an American student from Seattle, Amanda Knox, and her then-new boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were arrested on suspicion of murder. Weeks later, another suspect, a semi-vagrant African, Rudy Guede, was also arrested on the same charge.
Early today, shortly after midnight (CET), two years and 33 days after the crime, Amanda Knox was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 26 years of prison.
Raffaele Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years.
(Rudy Guede had been sentenced to 30 years a while ago.)
Meredith Kercher, b. 1986 - d. 1. XI. 2007
And I am not writing this to rehash the grizzly details of the story, much less to speculate about the motives, or indeed about the trial of the deadly trio.
I just want to register - as shortly and succinctly as I can - my surprise at the coverage of the trial in the USA media and, in some cases, their reaction to the verdict.
It seems that, in the eyes of many American media outlets (exceptions are a given, of course) and the public they feed with news, Amanda Knox is to be presumed innocent even after having been proven guilty, not because of some serious misgivings regarding the presentation of the evidence, but simply because she is - an American.
Of course they didn't put it like that (although some came dangerously close), but all the "circumstantial evidence", if you'll forgive the expression, points to it quite clearly.
For one thing, nobody seems to be hollering against Sollecito's conviction, even though the evidence against him was actually weaker than against Knox. But then, he's an Italian... which, of course, shouldn't matter IF this were really about wrongful conviction. But it is not: it's clearly about nationality.
And, frankly, I am surprised.
If the USA were a geographically small country, with just a few million (or less) inhabitants, I would understand (if not condone) such a bias: after all, each of its citizens is, in a way, an "ambassador" in the eyes of the world.
(Of course, in principle the same goes for the citizen of any country, anywhere - but "big" countries have an immense advantage in numbers, so they shouldn't worry about the occasional black sheep tarnishing the image of the country abroad.)
Amanda Knox is not an "ambassador" of the USA.
She is not even the "ambassador" of that fabulous city that is Seattle.
She only represents herself.
But the USA, after all these years of active participation in an increasingly shrinking world, still appears to have worrisomely parochial-minded media. After all, if the venerable New York Times, respected around the world (whether justifiably or not, I am not entirely sure) for its "liberal", humanistic, globally minded reporting, indulges in (admittedly personal) musings like this... what are we to think about other, smaller, publicly less prominent American media and the image of the world they seem to be presenting to their readership? (And precisely this - not the Kercher murder per se, much less Amanda Knox, is the main point of this writing.)
Most revoltingly (and ridiculously), many reports seem to question the Italian justice system, implying that its investigative methods, technology and judicial system in general are inadequate, primitive, perhaps corrupt - not based on any previous cases, mind you (or if so, they fail to mention those previous cases), but simply because it is not American.
Furthermore, they seem to ignore the fact that Italy is a part of the EU, which is by now much more than just an economic and loosely political framework, and that in many areas the EU's laws are (not always fortunately) much more stringent than those in the USA.
Don't get me wrong: God knows that the justice system of Italy is faaaaar from being perfect.
Sadly, the same goes for the USA justice system.
Even more sadly, the same goes for the justice system in any country.
However, in the Kercher murder case there is little evidence that anything substantial went amiss at any point of the investigation an the trial itself.
But no, certain USA media outlets - and, unsurprisingly, a sizeable part of the public - seem to prefer to view Italy in the light of a moth-eaten stereotype born out of Hollywood-spawned flicks on "Little Italy" (New York, USA).
And Amanda Knox's performing cartwheels during interrogation (yes, you read correctly) is presented not as possible indication of a deranged mind (brought on by severe stress, if you will), but by her being - an "athlete"... (In other words, a healthy young all-American gal in distress, faced with stuffy Italian policemen and corrupt members of the Italian judicial system.)
Let me tell you: such biased reporting has the potential of "tarnishing" the image of the USA much more than Amanda Knox and her wrongdoings ever could. Specifically, it presents the USA public as close-minded, provincial and blissfully (or not) unaware of the reality in other countries around the world. Heck, I am starting to suspect that even many of the NYT readers still think the USA are "the best country in the world" (whatever that means)! And how could they not if their media feeds them distorted images of the world?
No: Amanda Knox was not on trial - or convicted - because of her behaviour. Not even cartwheels - no, not even the cartwheels! - brought her to where she is today.
(Although they might have been a good reason for psychiatric treatment...)
It was holding the knife with which Meredith Kercher was killed.
It was her covering her ears to block out Meredith's screams.
It was the fact that her defence - and she did have more than decent, high profile representation - couldn't demonstrate anything that would counter the all too damning evidence against her.
What very few, if any, American media seem to mention is the fact that had Knox been tried and found guilty in the USA, she could easily face the death penalty.
Not so in the EU.
And so, there is hope, after all.
If she really is "not an assassin", as she claims, then in time proof may be found and justice will be (re)done.
Meanwhile, she can do cartwheels in her cell.
And she can breathe air, drink water, eat, think, read, feel love, feel hope.
None of which Meredith Kercher can do ever again.
2 comments:
This Knox trial reminds me why I would never be a lawyer on either side of the system. There is so much room for misjudgment, or egregious error, that it would be difficult to sleep soundly every night.
Thank you very much for stopping by AND taking the time to have your say, Eric!
And personally, I can certainly see your point...
It's a terrible, terrible affair - and what's worse, it's just one of many. The most horrendous ones rarely even make the headlines.
BUT that's yarn for another post...
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