Italy's highest criminal court has overturned the acquittal of American Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, ordering a retrial in the case of the 2007 murder of Knox's roommate.
Knox and Sollecito have been free since 2011, when an appeals court overturned their convictions and sentences of 26 and 25 years. Both have maintained their innocence.
Prosecutors vowed at the time to take the case to the Court of Cassation, which ordered the new trial Tuesday.
In a written statement, Knox called the court's move "painful," and said the prosecution's case is "completely unfounded and unfair."
Knox's defense attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova, also protested the ruling.
"It's a shocking decision, so we go back to discuss the case and we are ready again," he said. "We went through this already, we don't know exactly what else can be discussed in this case but we will see to see, we are looking forward to see the motivations."
Prosecutors have said Meredith Kercher, a British student who lived with Knox when the two were exchange students in Perugia, Italy, was killed in their house when a sex game turned violent.
A third suspect in the case, former drug dealer Rudy Guede, was given a 30-year prison sentence, which was later reduced to 16 years.
Knox and Sollecito have been free since 2011, when an appeals court overturned their convictions and sentences of 26 and 25 years. Both have maintained their innocence.
Prosecutors vowed at the time to take the case to the Court of Cassation, which ordered the new trial Tuesday.
In a written statement, Knox called the court's move "painful," and said the prosecution's case is "completely unfounded and unfair."
Knox's defense attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova, also protested the ruling.
"It's a shocking decision, so we go back to discuss the case and we are ready again," he said. "We went through this already, we don't know exactly what else can be discussed in this case but we will see to see, we are looking forward to see the motivations."
Prosecutors have said Meredith Kercher, a British student who lived with Knox when the two were exchange students in Perugia, Italy, was killed in their house when a sex game turned violent.
A third suspect in the case, former drug dealer Rudy Guede, was given a 30-year prison sentence, which was later reduced to 16 years.
