The Truth Will Set Them Free
Injustice in Perugia
A site detailing the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox & Raffaele Sollecito
Meredith Kercher
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Her name is Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher. Her friends knew her as "Mez." Meredith lived in South London. She had two older brothers, John and Lyle, and an older sister, Stephanie. Meredith attended the University of Leeds. As part of a student exchange program, she traveled to Italy. She went to the University of Perugia to complete her degree course in European Studies. Meredith was a spirited young woman living life and experiencing the world. I do not pretend to have known Meredith. From what I have read and from the pictures I have seen, Meredith was a beautiful young woman that was happy with who she was. She was enjoying life. She was a daughter that would make any parents proud. She deserved to have the opportunity to enjoy all that life had to offer. On November 1st, 2007, that opportunity was stolen from her.
Meredith's story is one that keeps parents up at night. I cannot possibly imagine my daughter in Meredith's situation and I cannot begin to imagine the pain that her parents live with on a daily basis. My heart goes out to the entire Kercher family.
I am in no position to tell you how wonderful Meredith Kercher was. I will leave that to the family that loved her so much.
Meredith's father,
"She went to ballet and in her teens did karate, reaching her third belt. At school she loved reading. She wrote poetry and stories. She was always good company and her sense of humour always had us and others laughing. The sense of the ridiculous stayed with her. She had such life and vitality and made friends wherever she went. Meredith really enjoyed Halloween. As a youngster she would make a costume from bin liners, put candles in the pumpkins with faces, tie them to sticks and then we would visit neighbours. t is ironic and tragic that she would die so terribly only one day after Halloween."
Meredith's mother,
"Meredith leaves a void that can never be filled. But wonderful memories of her live on in our hearts. All of us who knew her know what we lost."
Meredith's brother John,
“Everyone associates her with a tragic event. We would prefer not to think of her in that way. We prefer to concentrate on the 21 years that we did have with her.”
Meredith's brother Lyle,
“Her presence is missed every time we are together as a family.”
Meredith's sister Stephanie,
“one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people you could wish to meet. A 21-year-old student who was into her studies, worked hard, and enjoyed spending time socializing with her friends and family. We feel it is no exaggeration to say that Meredith touched the lives of everyone she met with her infectious upbeat personality, smile and sense of humour.”
“Mez was so important for so many people for her spontaneous, smiling and altruistic personality. We are trying to understand with great difficulty why she was taken away in such a cruel way.”
"As anyone who had been lucky enough to have known her would testify, she was one of the most beautiful, intelligent, witty and caring people you could wish to meet. Nothing was ever too much effort for her - a loving daughter and sister and a loyal friend."
Many people that are currently following this case never had the opportunity to meet Meredith Kercher. We have all learned from her family and friends just how special Meredith was. No matter what conclusions you draw from this case, one thing is certain, Meredith's family, her friends and the world, lost a beautiful young woman, to a senseless act of inhumanity.
Rest in peace Meredith.
Meredith's family has handled this horific ordeal with dignity and grace. They released a statement through their attorney.
"We are here not with hate but to have justice and to understand what exactly happened to Meredith, who was a wonderful person and who was in Perugia simply to study."
The Kercher family deserves privacy and respect. They lost Meredith forever. As we fight on to correct the injustice that has been committed against Amanda and Raffaele, we need to be mindful, that Amanda and Raffaele have a second chance. Meredith never will. I remember Meredith's parents saying they hoped the trial went quickly. They didn't want Meredith to be remembered as a victim of a horrible crime. They wanted her to be remembered as the beautiful spirited girl that she was. Unfortunately justice moves very slowly in Italy. Hopefully when this entire ordeal comes to a close, the Kercher family will finally be able to find the peace and closure that they are entitled to.
On a personal note,
People that support Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are sometimes accused of being disrespectful to Meredith Kercher. I cannot speak for everyone. Of course there are disrespectful people on both sides of any topic. I do not think it shows any disrespect to Meredith Kercher to search for the truth. In fact, I feel that finding the truth in regard to her murder is a sign of respect to Meredith. Meredith and her family deserve justice. Imprisoning two innocent people will bring no justice for Meredith Kercher.
I am aware that Meredith's mom said that she was disappointed that the ruling was being appealed. Meredith's family has the right to say anything that they want. Their daughter was brutally murdered. In my opinion, they have a free pass to voice their opinion to anyone, anytime. With that said, sometimes emotions can take over. It is completely understandable. The truth is, Italy has a justice system that relies heavily on the appeals system. You are given two chances to appeal your ruling. In fact, the appeals are automatic. fifty percent of rulings are overturned on appeal. The Italian justice system doesn't consider you guilty until your appeals are completed. I understand that Mrs. Kercher wants to have some kind of closure. I feel for her in this regard. I hope one day she is able to find peace. It is not the fault of Amanda Knox, Raffaele Sollecito, or their supporters that this process continues.
