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Forensic experts have been criticized by the defense in the Meredith Kercher case for not adhering to correct DNA forensic procedures thus, contaminating the evidence and jeopardizing the trial.
The murder of 12-yearold Erasmus student studying in the Italian town of Perugia has brought much media attention. Meredith, from Surrey, England, had just been there for two months before she was found brutally murdered.
The accused in the case are Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. Rudy Hermann Guede has already been convicted since his blood was found upon Meredith’s body and DNA tests confirmed that the two had had intercourse together as his DNA was found inside the victim. However, experts were unable to determine whether the sex was consensual or not. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder.
A knife was found in Sollecito’s flat, which though is believed not to have been the murder weapon, had Knox’s DNA on the handle and traces of Meredith’s DNA on the blade. The knife in question was not found to match the gash which Meredith had on her neck and which likely brought about the hemorrhage that ultimately killed her.
The prosecution argued that Meredith’s murder, which involved the victim being subjected to lengthy sexual abuse, had parallels with the stories found in some manga comics in Sollecto’s flat. However, the defense dismissed and ridiculed these claims.
The prosecution brought forward the DNA evidence available but to the defense objected claiming that the DNA forensic experts had not been careful as they had not abided to normal sampling procedures. They noted, through footage taken during the investigation, that forensic experts had used the gloves a number of times, gloves which are meant to be thrown away after the first use.
Moreover, they also noted that a blood-stained bra clasp had only been spotted on a second investigation thus, throwing into question the thoroughness of the forensic experts. The defense claimed that they did not have proper access to the forensic DNA test results and demanded forensic tests be carried out a second time.
Despite the arguments put forward by the defense, the judge in charge of the case Giancarlo Massei, considered the evidence to be enough and Knox and Sollecito will be given their official prison sentence within the coming months. Until then, they will be kept in the prison of Perugia. |
