July 1, 2011- Perugia gets hot in the summer. So hot in fact the court usually shuts down for the season. In Capanne prison where Amanda Knox is being held the temp. can soar above 100 degrees F., something most people will never experience and would never want to. Since it has become clear that Knox is not guilty, would it not be more humane to place her under a 'house arrest' type situation until the end of her appeal rather than for her to spend another broiling summer in Capanne?
Is this possible? Yes, it is. It is not unusual for people convicted of crimes, including murder, to wait out their appeals outside prison walls in Italy. The Knox prosecutor Mignini himself is walking around completely free as he awaits his own appeal for abuse of his office and wire-tapping, for which he was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison. In actuality, this would be a humanitarian move on the part of the appeals court. After more than 3 years in prison and clearly innocent, I think Amanda Knox deserves an act of compassion. In Italy you are not considered guilty until you have lost all your appeals, and I think at this point in time, with no valid evidence against her, she deserves to wait for the outcome of her appeal in a more humane environment.
This would not be unreasonable. Nor would it be complex or a risky venture. She has no passport to leave the country, and since she is 'high profile' I don't think she can blend in with the crowd and find her way back to Seattle. Why would she even try- she is winning her appeal and will most likely be set free in October in any case. So why add insult to injury and prolong her time in prison for something she did not do.
It isn't difficult to place someone under house arrest- particularly if her people were paying the rent on a house- a house that would be monitored, and expenses paid for food and clothing by her own people. They could even put a monitor on her ankle so that she would not be able to leave the grounds without an alarm going off. She could even be put under the protection of the U S State Dept. with a few U S Marines for her protection- yes, I think it is time for the State Dept employees in Italy to take some long overdue responsibility as concerns Amanda- particularly now that it is very clear she is not guilty.
Can this happen? Yes. Will it happen? I have no idea. Perhaps if Amanda did not face another grueling summer in Capanne prison, and perhaps if she had not already done over 3 years for something she didn't do- than perhaps I wouldn't even be bringing up this idea of house arrest. But as it stands, I think this girl and her family have suffered more than enough, and the same goes for Raffaele and his family. Regardless of how much the idea would ruffle the feathers of the prosecution, I keep thinking, with everything Amanda and Raffaele have been through, when will it stop- how much is enough?
