The family lawyer of murdered Briton Meredith Kercher has criticised Amanda Knox for what he calls “disrespectfully” profiting from the tragedy surrounding the British exchange student’s murder, as filming for a controversial new Hulu series begins. Attorney Francesco Maresca expressed his disapproval as production commenced in the Italian town where the 21-year-old student was tragically killed in 2007.
He told the Mirror: “As I have already said several times it seems to me that the initiatives of Knox continue to be inappropriate and disrespectful towards the memory of Meredith.” He continued: “It is evident that for Knox the Perugia trial continues to be a source of income and a series of opportunities to maintain her name in the media. Mrs Knox, after so many years, should respect the silence and memory.”
(Image: PA Media)
His comments come as Blue Moon, the new Hulu series, recreates the infamous moment Knox was seen kissing her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito shortly after Meredith’s body was discovered. The Leeds University student suffered sexual assault, had her throat cut, and was stabbed 47 times while on a study program in Perugia.
Knox and Sollecito were initially convicted of the murder alongside Rudy Guede, with the former pair being found guilty in 2009 but subsequently released on appeal two years later. In 2014, their guilty verdict was reinstated but was later overturned by Italy’s top court in March 2015.
Knox has since capitalised on her experience by writing a book, recording numerous podcasts, and making several speaking appearances, some of which were in Italy. The filming of Blue Moon in Perugia has reportedly sparked outrage among locals.
When production crews arrived, they were met with banners reading “Rispetto per Meredith” (Respect for Meredith), indicating their unwelcome presence. An editorial in the local La Nazione newspaper mirrored the high tensions. “Perhaps Meredith and Perugia would have deserved more respect without sacrificing the dignity of a murdered student and a brutalised city to business,” it read.
Paolo Mariotti, head of a local business association, suggested that the university town was ill-prepared for the spotlight such crimes bring. He proposed that the series could have been filmed in another city in Umbria, preserving Perugia’s dignity while still capturing the medieval scenery central to the story.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
“Perugia is a provincial city,” he said, “not accustomed to such headline-grabbing crimes or the attention they bring. They are medieval, ancient, with narrow streets,” he added. “Wherever they shot would have been identical.”
Meredith’s sister stated that she “will always be remembered for her own fight for life”. Meanwhile, the mayor of Perugia was compelled to issue an apology for permitting the eight-part series to film in the area.
In her letter, published in several newspapers, Mayor Vittoria Fernandi claimed she was powerless to stop such a production from filming in Perugia and that she hoped the series would show the city in its best light. “I wanted to give Perugia a chance for redemption, an opportunity to show itself, even if part of a tragedy, for what it is,” she wrote.
However, acknowledging her mistake, she apologised and stated: “Yet in trying to protect the image of the city, for a moment I lost sight of people, and their pain which remains raw.” The series, Blue Moon, stars Grace Van Patten in the lead role, with Italy’s Giuseppe De Domenico portraying Sollecito.
Knox and her husband, Chris Robinson, serve as executive producers for Knox Robinson, alongside Monica Lewinsky, former mistress of Bill Clinton, through her production company, Alt Ending Productions.
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