![Europe rights court orders Italy to compensate Amanda Knox for human rights violations](https://www.jurist.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/03/echr.jpg)
The European Court of Human Rights found Thursday that there had been numerous violations of human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights during the Amanda Knox investigation, ordering Italy to provide financial damages.
Knox was accused of the 2007 murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Italy. The charges were ultimately dropped on the murder and sexual assault allegations. However, during police questioning on November 6, 2007, she accused the owner of the bar she worked at part-time, as the culprit for the murder. The bar owner had an alibi and was later released, but Knox was charged and convicted of malicious accusations with a three-year prison sentence.
Knox alleged that the false accusation was coerced by police investigators and that she suffered psychological and emotions distress while in their custody. The human rights court ultimately found that there was insufficient evidence to support her allegation that the Italian police violated Article 3 of the Human Rights Convention which prohibits torture. However, Knox succeeded on her other claims under Article 6, which protects a right to a fair trial. In a detailed press release, the court found that Knox was denied legal assistance, was not properly informed of the charges against her and was not provided a translator to understand the nature of the charges.
The court ordered Italy to pay Knox almost USD $20,000 in damages, costs and expenses for the violations.