The shock verdict of Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito should shock anyone with any understanding of justice. As the verdict was announced, the public outside, decrying the verdict, shouted ‘shame’ (in Italian) as the collective believed, quite rightly, that Amanda and her boyfriend had a lot to do with the murder of Meredith Kercher.

If it wasn’t the Kill a Mockingbird-esque blaming of a black man, bar owner, Patrick Lumumba, for the murder, it was the cartwheeling during breaks in questioning- not exactly a respectful way of dealing with the brutal death of a supposed friend, (they weren’t, they were de-facto roommates and Knox was a slob, which pissed Meredith off and caused tensions between the two of them). Then there was the eye witness that saw them buying cleaning products (assumption: to clean up the murder scene. The fact that she was a slob probably cancelled out the idea that she was going to be a domestic goddess).

Then there was the change in stories, such a timelines, or turning off phones, or just kissing each other when the crime scene was being checked over by police.  Capricious inconsistencies were explained away as a ‘false memory’ brought on by smoking pot, shagging or watching a dvd on Raffaele’s computer or phone calls to Amanda’s mum. What a crock of shit. I wonder if Amanda's middle initals are O.J?

Any right-minded person, if accused of a crime as cruel and heinous as this one, would be shouting from the rooftops of their innocence. And you would be able to crystalise your timelines; what you did, what you didn’t do, especially only 24 hours after the crime had been committed.  Amanda didn’t act as if she was innocent; her odd behaviour, dismissive attitude to Meredith’s murder and changing of stories made her guilty, regardless of the circumstantial evidence.

It’s an age old story of a girl from a well-off background able to lobby through a slick PR campaign, which included Hilary Clinton, who had no business getting involved in the laws and politics of another country. It’s another story of U.S imperialism being better than everyone else; dictating to others how they should behave. The U.K has lessened its ‘world policeman’ tag, and the U.S have happily taken up the mantel. If Amanda was found guilty in her home State of Washington State, she would be facing the ultimate penalty: death, by lethal injection. Not forgetting that Italian laws are as old as civilisation, and which the laws of most countries in the world are founded upon, along with Greek law. So, given that the U.S are able to criticise, even when there’s plenty of innocent people on death row and languishing with long prison sentences, shows that their justice system is as flawed as anywhere else is.

Rudy Guede is probably guilty, but didn’t have a vulgar PR campaign out to free him, which is an issue of money. It’s a variation on the play on words: Capital Punishment: those without the capital get the punishment. No one gives a toss about an Ivory Coast drifter. He’s convenient collateral damage. The attractive white characters' in this tragedy go free because of political pressure. A complete acquittal is a travesty for all concerned.  Patrick Lumumba, had Amanda’s racist strategy worked, could have been facing several years’ in prison. Now she gets to go home on a private jet, sell the story for millions’ and make a movie about it all.

In the melee of it all, Meredith Kercher died a horrible, brutal death. She’s been forgotten about, because a sexually available,  if photogenic, lying trollop got the media’s attention.

No one got justice. I hope Knox can humble herself into something approaching respectability, sincerely, not just because it suits her agenda to be free. But with an ignorant, xenophobic and vulgar family like the Knox’s, it doesn’t bode well that their daughter got away with murder. It's a pity Italian law didn't maintain its stance, have some backbone and affirm the guilt of the two now freed.  Something seriously stinks about the verdict, and those outside the court room agreed. To their credit, they weren't baying for blood, but they were understandably angry.

For shame, in every sense of that statement.