World News
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito acquitted of Meredith Kercher murder─── 11:42 Sat, 28 Mar 2015
Perugia - The convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher have been quashed by Italy's top appeals court.
It is the final ruling in the case, following three previous court decisions over the 2007 murder.
Ms Kercher, 21, was stabbed to death in a Perugia flat she shared with Ms Knox.
American Ms Knox, 27, said she was "full of joy" after being acquitted, but the mother of Ms Kercher, who was from London, said she was "shocked".
Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito, her Italian ex-boyfriend, were initially found guilty of the murder in 2009.
They were freed in 2011 after the convictions were overturned, but they were reinstated by another court last year.
The couple had always maintained their innocence and the decision by the Court of Cassation puts an end to their long legal battle.
The reasoning behind the decision will be made public in 90 days.
"I'm still absorbing the present moment," Ms Knox said, speaking outside her mother's house in Seattle.
She expressed thanks "for the justice I've received and for the support I've had from everyone".
"Meredith was my friend," she added, "she deserved so much in this life."
It has been a seven-year trial, and late on Friday night, after nine hours of discussion, five appeal court judges in Rome's supreme court stepped out to deliver a definitive acquittal of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, over the murder of Meredith Kercher.
No reason was given. A brief statement was read by the presiding judge - justification will be delivered, in writing, within 90 days, in accordance with Italian law.
Neither defendant was in court, but there were cheers from both defence teams, who spoke of their surprise - an acquittal being a rarity in Italian supreme court hearings.
Lawyer Carlo Della Vedova broke the news to Ms Knox by phone, who cried with happiness, saying she now wants to "recover from this nightmare".
The Kercher family have not been in court for this hearing, but prosecution lawyer Francesco Maresca spoke of their concern that they won't ever learn the truth about what happened to Ms Kercher eight years ago.
BBC
