Yesterday Guest Dazbo wrote
"This all reminds me of that British nanny (can't remember her name) who was accused of murdering her charge in the USA. It seemed to me at the time that in the USA everyone believed her guilty whilst everyone in the UK thought she was innocent. This is just the other way round: "our" pretty young female can't possibly be a murderer but "your" pretty young female is obviously a callous, cold-hearted murderer."

The nanny was a local (to me) girl, Louise Woodward, a rather overweight teenager from a small village not really cast in the 'Foxy Knox' image

It is true that many people in the UK thought her innocent of the second degree murder charge brought against her and, in fact, Judge Hiller B. Zobel at a post-conviction relief hearing reduced the conviction to involuntary manslaughter adding: "I am morally certain that allowing this defendant on this evidence to remain convicted of second-degree murder would be a miscarriage of justice" and her sentence was reduced to exactly the amount of time she had already served in the US.

At the time British newspapers reacted cautiously to her release Although some had campaigned against the original murder charge the Daily Telegraph, for example made it clear in its editorial comment that Woodward's release should not be celebrated and some made strong references to the comments in the appeal judgement that Woodward should not profit from her experiences.

The parents of the victim Matthew Eappen also filed a civil lawsuit to prevent Woodward from earning any profits from selling her story under legislation designed to keep criminals from profiting from the publicity of their crimes, often by selling their stories to publishers.

As Amanda Knox has been found guilty of "defamation," for falsely accusing her former employer Patrick Lumumba
SHOULD THIS NOT APPLY TO HER ALSO?

Throughout Louise has protested her innocence and on her return to the UK said that she would be giving an interview to the BBC Panorama programme for no money
Transcript

However American media remained convinced of her guilt and she was named the most "notorious criminal convicted in Massachusetts" by Boston law magazine Exhibit A 10 years after she was released.!

One interesting footnote to this case was reported in the New York Times
'Just a week after Ms. Woodward was convicted on Oct. 30 of murdering the baby in her care ……a bill to restore the death penalty came up for a crucial vote in the state's House of Representatives.
''One of the long-lasting fallouts from the au pair trial is the defeat of the death penalty in Massachusetts,'' said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, in Washington'

But,to return to the subject of the thread, the search for 'justice' in the murder of Meredith Kercher has not ended here.
Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini is reported to have confirmed he would appeal to Italy's highest criminal court after publication of the reasons for the acquittals, due within 90 days.
"Let's wait and we will see who was right - the first court or the appeal court," Mr Mignini said. "This trial was done under unacceptable media pressure."
The highest court's remit is to rule on whether any procedures were violated and the hearing generally takes one day in Rome. Defendants are not required to attend.
If the highest court overturns the acquittal, prosecutors would be free to request Knox's extradition to Italy to finish whatever remained of her sentence.
It will then be up to the Italian government to decide whether to make a formal extradition request.