Meredith Kercher murder retrial

The retrial of Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito over the murder of British student Meredith Kercher has begun. Sollecito's lawyer said she will demand new tests of the crime scene to help prove her client's innocence.

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Sollecito's lawyer to demand new tests on crime scene

The lawyer representing Amanda Knox's former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito has said she will demand new scientific tests on the crime scene to help demonstrate her client's innocence.

The room is the crime scene and seeing as that room was filled with traces of Rudy Guede and the victim and as the prosecution have said that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito cleaned that room we demand further forensic tests to see if this selective cleansing is possible.

Would it have been possible for Raffaele and Amanda to just be able to clean away their fingerprints? ...

We have made a series of requests as you have heard, which are based on the fact that we are absolutely sure that Raffaele Sollecito had nothing to do with this.

– GIULIA BONGIORNO, lawyer for RAFFAELE SOLLECITO

Ivory Coast-born Rudy Guede is currently serving a 16-year sentence for Meredith Kercher's murder.

Lumumba hopes Amanda Knox 'goes back to prison'

The bar owner who was falsely accused by Amanda Knox of murdering Meredith Kercher was present in court today.

Patrick Lumumba said he was there to "reiterate that Amanda [Knox] is guilty" and said he hopes she goes back to prison.

Patrick Lumumba Credit: REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

The Florence court rejected a motion by Knox's lawyers to exclude Lumumba from the new appeals trial as a civil participant, a status that allows him to seek further damages.

His lawyer says Lumumba is owed more than 103,000 euros (£86,000) in legal fees.

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Kercher family urge Knox to stay away from grave

The family of murdered Meredith Kercher have sent a veiled request to Amanda Knox not to visit the British student's grave, as the American prepares to face a retrial.

Meredith Kercher was found dead in November 2007 in her bedroom in Italy.

Knox, who was found guilty of murder in 2009 but was later acquitted in 2011, told ITV's Daybreak it would be "closure" if the Kercher's family took her to the grave.

However, a family statement released yesterday said: "It took us as a family nearly five years to even begin to feel ready to lay Mez to rest and it is still extremely painful now.

"However, she now has a place near to us that we and her friends can visit to take flowers and spend time…her grave is now her safe place to sleep in peace and be with us and we hope that is respected by all."

Knox retrial over Kercher murder to begin in Italy

The retrial of Amanda Knox over the murder of British student Meredith Kercher will start today.

Amanda Knox was acquitted on appeal in 2011. Credit: REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

The American and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty of murder in 2009 but were acquitted on appeal two years later.

Ms Knox, who will not be in court for the retrial, spent four years in prison before her acquittal and has always maintained her innocence in the case.

Italy's Supreme Court ordered a retrial after criticising the appeals court for dismissing DNA evidence.

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