Rudy Guede, the individual convicted of the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher, is set to appear in court this fall facing serious charges of sexual assault and violence against a former girlfriend. The trial will take place in Viterbo, Italy, with the first hearing scheduled for November 4, 2023.
Guede, now 38 years old and originally from the Ivory Coast, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for Kercher’s murder in October 2008. His sentence was subsequently reduced on appeal, and he was released early for good behavior in 2021. The case garnered international attention, leading to the publication of over two dozen books and the production of three films.
The charges against Guede arise from allegations made by a 25-year-old woman he dated following his release. According to Italian media reports, the couple began their relationship while Guede was still incarcerated and ended it in 2023 when the woman accused him of sexual assault, mistreatment, and stalking. The evidence for the upcoming trial includes more than 100,000 photographs, as well as thousands of messages exchanged between Guede and the unnamed victim, as noted by investigating magistrate Rita Cialoni.
The case surrounding Meredith Kercher’s murder has been fraught with controversy. In addition to Guede’s conviction, American student Amanda Knox, who was Kercher’s roommate at the time of her death, and Knox’s then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were also convicted in connection with the murder in 2009. However, both were fully exonerated by Italy’s Supreme Court in 2015 after a protracted legal battle. Knox remains convicted of slander for falsely accusing her former nightclub boss, Patrick Lumumba, of being involved in Kercher’s murder.
Guede’s lawyer, Carlo Mezzetti, has stated that his client maintains his innocence and is concerned about the possibility of not receiving a fair trial due to his previous conviction. As the upcoming trial approaches, the focus will be on the evidence presented and the implications it may hold for both Guede and the ongoing public interest in the high-profile case.
