Amanda Knox, the producer, podcaster, writer, and advocate, is back on the news after she was re-convicted for slander of Patrick Lumumba in the 2007 murder case of Meredith Kercher.
Key Takeaways
- Amanda Knox was re-convicted for slandering Patrick Lumumba by falsely accusing him of Meredith Kercher’s murder.
- Lumumba spent two weeks in jail due to her false accusation before being cleared by an alibi, but his life was severely impacted.
- While Knox will not serve additional prison time, Lumumba declared the decision “just and deserved.”
Amanda Knox Guilty Of Slandering
Knox was convicted for blaming the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher, on Patrick Lumumba during police interrogation.
However, that judgment was quashed, and a retrial was ordered; on June 5, 2024, she was again re-convicted.
Nonetheless, Amanda will not go to prison since she has already served four years for the original conviction (three of which were for false accusation).
In Konx’s defense, her lawyer argued that she made allegations due to police pressure, lack of legal assistance, and the absence of an interpreter.
On the court, she said,
I never wanted to slander Patrick. He was my friend; he took care of me and consoled me for the loss of my friend (Meredith). I’m sorry I wasn’t able to resist the pressure and that he suffered.
Amanda Knox
Who Is Patrick Lumumba?
Diya “Patrick” Lumumba, aka Patrick Lumumba, is a 52-year-old Congolese bar owner and the employer of Amanda Knox, who worked there part-time.
After she confessed and accused Patrick of murder, he was held in jail for almost two weeks for questioning.
The father-of-two was only released when a Swiss university professor drinking at his bar came to his rescue, proving that the man was at work with receipt.
Amanda Knox accused an innocent black man of being involved in the murder. Bar owner Patrick Lumumba spent 14 days in jail because of her and he got out just because he was able to provide an alibi. https://t.co/vv4q3iOPkD pic.twitter.com/9siuPKj7zx
— curlyhairedgurl 🇮🇹 🇵🇸 (@curlyitagurl) June 5, 2024
Even though he was proven innocent, his reputation was tarnished, and he had to close down his pub
In 2009, Lumumba also sued Knox for defamation for nearly half a million pounds.
When she was acquitted, Patrick mentioned that she was free because of her status and appearance:
Amanda is free because she is American, but Americans are human like everybody.
Patrick Lumumba
Great pic of Patrick Lumumba, the nice, innocent guy Amanda Knox pinned the murder on. He was her boss. #SadButTrue pic.twitter.com/DMpiPYMuov
— Kris Arnason (@KrisArnason) October 16, 2013
In an interview last year, he said,
“My life has literally been turned upside down.”
He continued,
“Amanda knew very well that I was innocent, but those few words that she said to the police on the morning of November 6, 2007, ‘… he killed her’, destroyed me in a flash, eliminating the reputation I enjoyed in Perugia.”
2007 Police arrest #MeredithKercher flatmate, Amanda Knox, student Raffaele Sollecito & Diya "Patrick" Lumumba @CI @MKRemembered pic.twitter.com/WOc9sXni0K
— 20th Century #OnThisDay (@Iain_McDougall) November 6, 2017
Hence, Lumumba rejoiced after the verdict and said the ruling was ‘just and deserved.’
I hail the court in Florence with much respect and honor for their professionalism. It is true we were friends with Amanda Knox, but you don’t stab friends in the back, and Amanda stabbed me. She stabbed me and did not apologize.
Patrick Lumumba
Furthermore, the former bar owner now lives in Krakow, Poland, with his wife and children.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Amanda Knox has an upcoming Hulu limited series based on her struggles within the Italian legal system.
- This is not the only cinema based on her life; “Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy” in 2011, Netfilx’s “Amanda Knoxand” in 2016, and “Stillwater” in 2021 (inspired).
