A court in Italy –once again – found Amanda Knox guilty. The court determined Knox, – who was convicted of the 2007 killing of flatmate and British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, eventually annulled in 2015 –was guilty of slander on Wednesday and handed her a three-year jail sentence in a case related to the murder.
The sentence will have no practical impact as it is covered by the time Knox spent in jail before her conviction. Knox, who was in court for the verdict, had been sentenced to three years for wrongly accusing Congolese bar owner Patrick Lumumba of the killing of Kercher in an earlier case. Knox spent four years in jail for the killing of Kercher. Earlier in the week, she posted on X: "I hope to clear my name once and for all of the false charges against me. Wish me luck." She also spoke out after the verdict: "They didn't hear me. But I've been here before. And this won't stop me from fighting for the truth."
Though she didn't get to "clear (her) name" as she wished, experts say there are many ways for Knox to continue to rehabilitate her reputation and gain peace of mind – even if the justice system won't guarantee her that the way she wants.
"While she can't fix her reputation, she can choose to focus on her character," says Amy Morin, psychotherapist, author of "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do" and the host of apodcast. "If she lives according to her values, and feels good about what she's doing, it will likely take much less of a toll on her. She can't control how others see her but she can control how she behaves."
'The public may still think she's guilty'
Even if exonerated, some people – whether you did wrong or not – won't see you any other way.
"Amanda Knox might have to accept that some people are always going to think she's guilty. It's not her responsibility to change their minds," Morin adds. "No matter what she tries to do clear her name, the public may still think she's guilty of certain things."
Cases like Knox's, which are high-profile, only proliferate that much more in people's minds because everyone can't stop talking about them. "As we all know, the media is a pervasive and powerful medium to present information and has the ability to shape public perceptions and opinions in society," saysChase Cassine, licensed clinical social worker. In turn, those targeted "may feel gaslit, emotional isolation, depression, anxiety due to uncertainty about the future and causing an unnecessary strain and distrust on personal relationships."
As Knox wrote for USA TODAY in 2016: "I didn’t get my old life back when I came home. No exoneree does. It took me years to feel comfortable and confident enough to trust new people." She's since married and had two children.
Hmm:Is this the way to sidestep 'cancel culture' and be friends with everyone? Maybe.
'She's at an important juncture'
But where does Knox go from here, once again found guilty of something?
"She's at an important juncture," says Maryanne Fisher, a psychology professor at St. Mary's University in Canada. "Does she keepfighting, sharing her side, pushing for legal retribution, or does she – in the wise words of Queen Elsa from Frozen, 'let it go?'"
She could certainly make something of the renewed attention monetarily. "Where Amanda Knox goes from here is uncertain. However, I am certain Knox will attempt to leverage this renewed public interest for media visibility and profit," says Melvin L. Williams, associate professor of communication studies at Pace University.
For now, from a mental health standpoint, Morin suggets Knox focus on acceptance.
"She doesn't have to accept that it was OK that she was put through so much or that it's OK that so many people seem to still want her to be punished," Morin says. "But she might be able to accept, that for now, some people think she's guilty. Acceptance could help her then move forward."
This may mean rallying the village around her. Gathering "support from others who understand your plight can be a powerful tool when navigating daunting circ*mstances," says Laura Petiford, a licensed marriage and family therapist. "And while it sounds as if she plans to appeal this most recent decision, we can never control what other people think about us. Giving up on trying goes a long way in bolstering mental health."
And as she wrote once before: "I now have opportunity to voice my experience and humanity as an exoneree. Most exonerees never get that chance, so I mean to share it. I will not disappear. I will advocate, I will bear witness."
In the face of another guilty plea, it still doesn't look like she's disappearing.
Contributing: Reuters
