EDITORIAL: "The Amanda Knox verdict isn't justice for Meredith Kercher;
It's a witch-hunt: We have seen the fevered imaginings of a rank
species of misogyny," published by The Independent on February 2, 2014;
GIST: "Most sex-attackers are men; Guede had Kercher's blood on
his hands and left other evidence behind; there is no incontrovertible
evidence placing Knox or Sollecito in the bedroom; forensic evidence
cited by the prosecution was discredited at their successful appeal in
2011. Yet the Italian authorities have stood by an idea formed in the
immediate aftermath of the killing, which is that a woman must have been
the prime mover. The case long ago become a circus, with some British
papers gleefully hailing the return of "Foxy Knoxy" after Thursday's
verdict. At her original trial, this femme fatale supposedly had such
power over two men who hadn't previously met that she was able to
persuade them to take part in a murder influenced by black magic. These
were the fevered imaginings of a rank species of misogyny. Their
origins lie in the infamous history of Perugia, described as the
"epicentre" of 15th-century witch trials. Both sides in the case made
the link, with one hostile lawyer describing Knox as a "diabolical
she-devil". Five "witches" were burned to death in Perugia between 1445
and 1501; their male "accomplices" were spared on the grounds that they
had been bewitched. Now the Florence court has replaced the black
magic motive favoured in Perugia with a row between Kercher and Knox
over a dirty toilet. First it was witchcraft, now it's personal hygiene;
if that seems a leap, the appeal judges haven't deviated from the
prosecutors' original assumption in one crucial respect. They still seem
to believe that a young American woman – not the man who left his DNA
all over the scene – bears the greatest responsibility for a savage,
sexually-motivated murder."
The entire editorial can be found at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-amanda-knox-verdict-isnt-justice-for-meredith-kercher-its-a-witchhunt-9101549.html
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
I
have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses
several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of
the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this
powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and
myself get more out of the site.
The
Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible
years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr.
Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of
Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"
section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It
can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com
