Amanda Knox to return for Italy for first time since being cleared of Meredith Kercher’s murder despite fearing she’ll be arrested again
AMANDA Knox has sensationally agreed to face her greatest fear and return to Italy for the first time since being cleared of the brutal murder of Meredith Kercher.
Knox, 31, spent four years in jail after being convicted with her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito of knifing the Brit student, 21, to death in the house they shared in Perugia.
Initially she was convicted, then cleared then convicted again before being conclusively acquitted in 2015 of the 2007 murder.
In the past, Seattle-born Knox said she would not return to Italy for fear of being jailed again – and in January she said that the prospect of going back “terrifies” her.
However, yesterday it emerged that the American will speak at a legal conference in Modena on wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice in Italy.
She tweeted: “The Italy Innocence Project didn’t yet exist when I was wrongly convicted in Perugia.
“I’m honoured to accept their invitation to speak to the Italian people at this historic event and return to Italy for the first time”.
Later she added a picture anti-paparazzi clothing along with the caption: ”Here we go ! Anyone know a thrift shop where I can find some of this paparazzi resistant clothing ?”
Since being cleared of any involvement Knox has carved out as a media commentator in the US.
Earlier this year she was criticised for posting images of herself attending a murder mystery party and joking about it.
FACING HER GREATEST FEAR
In January Knox was awarded a £16,000 pay out after winning a European Human Rights Court case against the Italian government.
At the court, she said Italian police had infringed her rights by failing to provide her with a lawyer, an interpreter and not following proper procedure.
She also insisted she had been slapped by cops during questioning but judges ruled there was no proof of that.
An Ivorian, Rudy Guede, was convicted of Meredith’s murder in a separate fast-track trial and is serving a 16-year sentence.
In March, Knox spoke about her fear of returning to Italy for the first time while appearing at the True Crime festival in New York.
She said: “It’s very scary and every day you need to face up to something new that is terrifying but I’ve been lucky and I am healing.
“I have an amazing family and friends and an incredible support network.
“But you have got to face up to your fears alone if you want to heal and I know the main thing that still terrifies me most is returning to Italy.
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“It’s something I know I have to do and I will do it but it really does scare me.
“It’s almost like I got to just leave it all behind and come home to America but it’s all still very raw there – people haven’t moved on and I don’t know how they would react to me.
“I know I have to go back at some point I’ve just got to prepare myself for it.”
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