Just when you think the Italian Judicial System has obtained some level of order and discipline over their wily judicial staff in Perugia, Italy, they have surprisingly decided to defend their tarnished honor with more insanity.
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If you need any background in the Amanda Knox case, please see DENVER or the meticulously and accurately revised chronicle on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_knox
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Just to clarify and ensure that “the waters are not muddied,” here is the actual scenario that seems so ludicrous:
As reported by ABC news, on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012, Judge Giuseppe Noviello found enough evidence against Amanda’s parents (Curt Knox and Edda Mellas) to stand trial for slandering the Perugian Police Department. The Knox defense lawyers were denied a request to move the trial from Perugia to another city to ensure impartiality.
Also per ABC News: “The former couple faces slander charges that could put them in prison for up to three years for an interview they gave to The Sunday Times of London in 2009.”
Italy is narcissistic about slander, that is to say, you dare not say anything bad about their superior judicial leaders. (Can you say North Korea?)
There are two levels of Slander:
(NOTE: Slander is generically used to describe both.)
Libel is the lesser version of a three year prison sentence.
Full out Slander (like calling a prosecutor fat) carries a six year prison sentence.
Amanda was already found guilty of the lesser Slander (Libel) against Patrick Lumumba in her appeal, three years already served.
Amanda faces another six years in prison when her trial for the Slander allegation against police starts in July.
Kurt and Edda currently face the lesser Slander (Libel) of three years imprisonment.
Keep in mind, slander is obviously a defamation of character. But in this case, Amanda simply told her parents her version of that dreadful, all night interrogation, November 5th, 2007. How is this defamation of character and not simply a girl relaying her version of events to her parents, and then her parents simply repeating it when asked by a reporter; “what did Amanda say?”
Amanda’s parents unequivocally did at the time and continue to believe, that Amanda is telling the truth.
So from the Italian Judicial System’s point of view they are saying that Amanda’s parents are lying about themselves; implying that they do NOT believe the validity of their daughter’s account of that dreadful night.
In other words, the Italian Judicial System is saying that Amanda’s parents were purposely slandering the police (libel) by repeating a supposed lie in an interview with the purpose of mitigating the charges against Amanda, not simply repeating what Amanda had told them as her parents.
- If Amanda’s parents believe what they said to be true, and Amanda’s statement is NOT beyond reason of believability by any intelligent and reasonable person, then THIS IS NOT LIBEL!
- If the allegations of head slapping and threats are ever investigated by an impartial team of FBI style professionals, there is a 100% degree of probability that the statements will be proven to be TRUE! Therefore: NOT SLANDEROUS!
Here is exactly what ABC News reported from the quote, please discern for yourself if you find the account by Amanda to be reasonably believable for her parents to have believed:
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Curt Knox told the paper, “Amanda was abused physically and verbally. She told us she was hit in the back of the head by a police officer with an open hand, at least twice. The police told her, ‘If you ask for a lawyer, things will get worse for you’ and ‘If you don’t give us some explanation for what happened, you’re going to go to jail for a very long time.’ “
Knox’s mother, Edda Mellas, told the newspaper that her daughter was informed she would never see her family again.
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Amanda made these allegations the very same day, just after the intense, illegal, all night interrogation that ended in the early morning hours of November 6th, 2007.
Raffaele made very similar allegations about his treatment during that same night.
Patrick Lumumba alleged even worse treatment for over two weeks while in custody until his release, November 19th, 2007. Then he was offered some sort of a deal that was apparently more beneficial to him than the truth of his treatment. But his initial statements are already well documented.
The most damning and most alarming, is the dreadful beating that was endured by journalist, Frank Sfarzo, in his own home by FIVE Perugian police officers!
What I am clearly establishing here is a Modus Operandi by the prosecution team in Perugia under the direct supervision of the lead prosecutor, Prosecutor Mignini. The smoke, mirrors and total intimidation tactics that have been employed by Mignini and his minions have also worked well in all un-regulated environments for centuries!
Frank Sfarzo is a Perugian journalist (Perugia Shock: http://perugiashock.com/) who initially saw the injustice of Amanda and Raffaele’s prosecution from day one. His plight has been well documented on the Internet through this entire ordeal.
As Mignini had been using the Perugian Police Department as his own personal militia, he had used them to apply intimidating threats to Frank for several months during the Amanda Knox trial.
One night in 2010, Mignini sent a squad of FIVE physically large (steroids?) and heavily armed police officers (thugs in this case) to assault Frank in his own home. Frank was severely beaten. (Well documented by the hospital.)
Coincidently (or not); Amanda claims she was open-hand slapped up the back side of her head, at least twice. (Am I seeing a pattern here?)
Back to: Frank was then taken to a nearby hospital and officially charged with assaulting FIVE unsuspecting police officers. Police officers that had no warrant or legal reason to be in his home. Police officers that initiated the assault without hesitation, no warning, attacked immediately upon entering the house.
They requested a hospital psychiatrist to evaluate Frank, not because they thought he was crazy, but so as to put on the record that he was psychologically evaluated. Mr. Frank Sfarzo was consequently given a clean bill of mental health that they do not ever mention. (I think I hear a Rail Road Job, coming down the track!)
The same exact smoke and mirrors were used on Amanda. They got Amanda to admit that she had a vision and heard a scream. Then after the rest of their coerced vision (another head slap) they made her sign a paper in exchange for a drink of water and a latrine privilege (and no more head slaps!). The theoretical scenario she signed also surreptitiously implicated her, placing her at the scene of the murder. Aren’t people outraged that the interpreter didn’t explain this to her? At least Judge Hellman saw this, he saw this very clearly according to his record.
Back to Frank, along with having pending assault charges to shut him up about the Knox case, he has pending civil cases by the officers for their massive injuries reportedly caused by Frank who they claim beat them severely. (Again, in his own home.)
(Please see picture of Frank attached above.)
Frank Sfarzo is an articulate, well educated, highly intelligent, gentle man. Sounds like a kindred brother to Amanda.
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I do not believe the Knox family has any obligation to return to Perugia to face this ridiculous slander charge. I doubt our state department would honor an extradition request based on a statement that you believed your daughter was innocent and telling the truth. (This was proven to be true, Amanda was exonerated.)
So the Italian Judicial System now has the Knox family in a “Catch 22;” if they return, they face a possible unjust three year prison sentence based on a centuries old honor system of absolute domination.
But if they don’t return, the entire family will continue to face the ridicule, slanderous attacks and threats they have already endured for so long.
Thus continues the smoke and mirrors methodology employed by one small segment in Italy to keep the focus off of the problem of corruption. We now have four documented cases utilizing the same MO. False allegations, misdirection and coercion implemented with police brutality. (Funded by Italian tax dollars of course.)
They continue to use the financial and legal resources of Italy to launch unabated attacks on the innocent, hence, redirecting attention away from any attempt to organize a full scale investigation of the Perugian Judicial System. (No wonder Italy is worried about bankruptcy.)
In 1989, Italy reformed their Criminal Procedure Code, thereby, restructuring their Criminal Procedure System. It was converted from an Inquisitorial Model (“The Inquisition;” kind of sounds like Amanda’s interview?) to a Modified Adversarial System.
The new system was inspired by the American Judicial System, but it only works if you adhere to the rules. If you revert back to old habits for the sake of conviction success (or any other agenda), then the outcome will be skewed into a quagmire, like the Amanda Knox case.
One of the most fundamental rules is video taping interrogations to avoid any ambiguity; in this case, that rule was blatantly broken. Had the rules been adhered to, Amanda would not have been charged, no slander, no quagmire!
The Knox family is now being asked to absorb the consequences of this unbelievable injustice by standing trial for making statements about Amanda that are conspicuously true. Unacceptable!
These closed room, un-taped, Gestapo type tactics of the Inquisition must stop! It stops right here with the Knox family!
This may well be the “David versus Goliath” of the 21st Century!
DENVER