Meredith Kercher's killer Rudy Guede to stand new trial over ‘sexual assault' of ex-girlfriend in Italy

The Sun

14 hours ago

THE man convicted of murdering British university student Meredith Kercher has been charged with sexual assault against his former girlfriend.
Rudy Guede, 38, is once again set to stand trial in November after being accused of mistreatment, personal injury and sexual violence.
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Guede served just 13 years of his 16-year jail sentence after he was convicted of killing Ms Kercher in 2007.
He was released early from prison in 2021 for good behaviour.
During his time in prison, Guede started dating a 25-year-old woman, who later ended their relationship in 2023 and pressed charges against him, according to local Italian media.
Guede has been placed under a "special surveillance" regime since last year, when police began their investigation into the alleged sexual assault, Sky News reports.
According to a Rome court ruling, Guede must inform the police anytime he leaves Viterbo, his city of residence.
He has been fitted with an electronic ankle tag and was banned from having any contact with the woman behind the sexual assault allegations.
Carlo Mezzetti, his lawyer, told CNN that Guede was innocent and feared he would not get a fair trial given his previous conviction.
Some 100,000 photos, thousands of chats and audio messages between Guede and the unnamed victim are among the evidence set to be presented in the trial, according to the media outlet.
Ms Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found half-naked with her throat slit in Perugia, Italy, in September 2007.
The exchange student from the University of Leeds had been stabbed 47 times.
Ms Kercher shared her flat with her American roommate, Amanda Knox.
Ms Knox was convicted alongside her then-boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito - but they both were fully acquitted by Italy's Supreme Court in 2015 following a sensational legal battle.
Though Ms Knox remains convicted of slander for accusing her former nightclub boss Patrick Lumumba of Ms Kercher's murder in 2007.
At the time of Guede's release, Ms Knox said that Guede has been "able to cause harm to more young women" since his release.
She wrote in a post on X: "Guede was never held fully accountable for murdering Meredith, as he was only convicted of rape and of 'participating in the murder.'
"Essentially he was charged with being an accomplice for a crime he committed alone. He was sentenced to 30 years.
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"On appeal, that was reduced to 16. He was released on 'good behavior' after serving 13 years..."
Knox has since gone on to become an author and journalist and has spoken openly about her treatment during the ordeal.
In 2020, Knox told Good Morning America how she felt she was carrying the burden of Guede's crime.
"I continue to this day to be shocked that he is the forgotten killer," Knox said.
"The one who was quietly tucked away, convicted of a lesser crime, and does not have to live with the burden of forever being associated with Meredith's death.
"I do know that many, many people have suffered a great deal because of what he did.'
Timeline of Meredith Kercher saga
November 1, 2007 – The murder of Meredith Kercher: British exchange student Meredith Kercher, 21, is found dead in the apartment she shares with Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy. Her throat is slashed, and signs suggest she may have been sexually assaulted.
November 6, 2007 – Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito arrested: Amanda Knox, her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, and Patrick Lumumba, Knox's boss at a local bar, are arrested in connection with Kercher's murder. Knox accuses Lumumba of the killing during a police interrogation.
November 20, 2007 – Patrick Lumumba released: Lumumba is released after police find no forensic evidence linking him to the murder. He was falsely implicated by Knox during a contentious interrogation.
December 6, 2007 – Rudy Guede arrested in Germany: Rudy Guede, a 20-year-old Ivorian man, is arrested in Germany and extradited to Italy. His DNA is found on Kercher's body and at the crime scene.
October 28, 2008 – Guede convicted of murder: Guede opts for a fast-track trial and is convicted of Kercher's murder. He is sentenced to 30 years in prison, later reduced to 16 on appeal.
January 16, 2009 – Knox and Sollecito trial begins: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito stand trial for the murder of Kercher. Prosecutors allege a sex game gone wrong, while the defence argues that Guede acted alone.
December 4, 2009 – Knox and Sollecito convicted: Knox and Sollecito are found guilty. Knox is sentenced to 26 years in prison; Sollecito receives 25 years.
November 24, 2010 – Appeals process begins: Knox and Sollecito appeal their convictions. A key focus is the forensic evidence, including DNA found on a knife and a bra clasp.
October 3, 2011 – Knox and Sollecito acquitted: An appeals court overturns their convictions, citing errors in the forensic investigation. Knox is freed and returns to Seattle.
March 26, 2013 – Italy's Supreme Court orders retrial: Italy's Court of Cassation annuls the acquittals, ordering a retrial for Knox and Sollecito.
January 30, 2014 – Knox and Sollecito reconvicted: Knox and Sollecito are reconvicted in their retrial. Knox, now in the U.S., is sentenced to 28.5 years in prison.
March 25, 2015 – Final acquittal: Italy's Supreme Court definitively acquits Knox and Sollecito of Kercher's murder, citing lack of evidence and glaring errors in the investigation.
November 2021 – Rudy Guede released: Rudy Guede, the sole person definitively convicted in connection with Kercher's death, is released from prison after serving 13 years.
2023 - present – Knox's slander conviction: Despite her acquittal, Knox is convicted of slander for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba.
2023: The European Court of Human Rights rules that Knox's rights were violated during her 2007 interrogation.
June 2024: An Italian court upholds her slander conviction, a decision confirmed by Italy's high court in January 2025.