There is an interesting twist in the Italian trial of Amanda Knox. The American exchange student Meredith Kercher facing murder charges has claimed that she was struck by police and otherwise abused during her interrogation. Now, Italian prosecutors have added a slander charge due to her in court statements.
In the United States, all in-court statements are privileged. In Italy, not only may you be charged for things you say in your own defense but charged as part of a criminal case. It is remarkably abusive rule. While it will not deter a murder suspect who will hardly be afraid of a slander charge on top of a murder charge, it would create a chilling effect on other defendants raising police abuse or testifying on their own behalf.
Under the Italian system, the defendant may speak at any time to react to testimony or evidence. Knox did so after an interpreter testified that she confessed to the murder of her roommate and seemed relieved to be able to get it off her chest.
Knox says that the police called her a “stupid liar” and interrogated her for “hours and hours” and was slapped on the head by police.
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This poor girl.
What do you expect in a country like Italy which is considered an origin of organized crime? (Not that Italy is the only country which tolerated conditions allowing for organized crime. They simply have a colorful history for it.)
Even in the United States were still have a degree of corruption but perhaps it is better hidden because we seem to have less social ties to our neighbors and others in our society. If it is not effecting you directly then injustice tends to get overlooked.
I grew up believing that you could trust police and the legal system because it was taught in school. I was too honest and straight to believe otherwise until events exposed me to the retaliation of political prosecution.
You do not need to be guilty to be arrested because it happens all the time. Dealing with arrest when you are not guilty can expose you to additional charges depending on how you react to what you know is a false arrest. In fact it is possible that everything involving your original arrest can be dropped followed by charges for acting irrational after the arrest. It happened to me.
Retaliation appears to be a large part of the legal system instead of the beautiful ideas of protecting society and serving justice. Getting the public to see what goes on may be the only way to change anything, and the people responsible do not want the public to see what actually happens. It takes brave people with compassion to keep fighting for the truth.
In the end the truth is what matters but good luck finding it the way things are.
- Michael John Lake
Toledo, Ohio, USA