O-mama - Opinionated Moms

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UPDATE 10/3/2011: An Italian court of appeals has overturned Amanda Knox's murder conviction and she is free, after four years.  Knox is expected to return to her hometown of Seattle.  Her former Italian boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollecito, was also acquitted. 

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ORIGINALLY POSTED 12/7/09

Twenty-two year old American student, Amanda Knox, spent her first weekend of her 26-year sentence, in an Italian jail cell convicted of murder.  What started as a dream of studying abroad, turned into a nightmare for all the families involved.   Now that she is back in lock up (where she has been for two years awaiting the conclusion of her trial), her parents can’t hug her, never mind help her right now.   Her best friend isn’t there to help her through it. She is a stranger in a strange land, and in even stranger circumstances.  One young girl is dead and three people have gone to prison for the crime. 

 Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, 25, were convicted of killing her British roommate in a supposed drug-fuelled sex game gone awry.   It was just reported that Knox, in the interim, won an essay writing competition for a story entitled “My Love,” whose premise closely resembles the crime for which Knox is now serving time.   All the while, this sweet-faced young woman professes her innocence and is concerned about how her family will cope with the situation.   She is on suicide watch and is reportedly inconsolable.   Her family is relocating to Perugia, Italy, to work on her appeal. 

 As a mom, imagine your daughter in the same situation, guilty or not.  As a daughter, imagine putting your family through such an ordeal, guilty or not.  With 26 years of cell time ahead of it, the Knox family will have plenty of time to imagine every scenario.