'Stop your "all-about me" victim tour!' Piers Morgan tells Amanda Knox to 'shut up' out of respect for Meredith Kercher's family as she reveals she is still terrified of being re-arrested over the British student's murder

  • Knox, 31, said she still fears further criminal charges against her for the crime despite acquittal back in 2015
  • She was cleared of murder of British student Meredith Kercher, 21, in their shared house in Perugia in 2007 
  • The Seattle resident flew into Italy this week to speak at the Criminal Justice Festival in Modena on Saturday

Advertisement

Piers Morgan told Amanda Knox that she should 'shut up' out of respect for Meredith Kercher's family as she revealed she is still terrified of being re-arrested over the British student's murder.

The U.S. citizen, 31, has returned to Italy for the first time this week since she was cleared of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher at their rented house in Perugia in 2007.

While there, she appeared at a criminal justice festival where she told attendees she 'still fears more charges' despite being cleared of Meredith's murder by an Italian supreme court back in 2015.

But Piers criticized Ms Knox for her actions, tweeting: 'Out of respect for Meredith Kercher's poor family, Amanda Knox should stop her self-pitying "all about me" victim tour - and shut up.' 

Although he chose not to tag Ms Knox, she replied to his tweet, saying: 'Says the guy who's begged me to be on his show multiple times, and I've turned him down every time.' 

He hit back: 'I think we all know why you might wish to avoid interviews with British TV journalists, especially those like me who once worked with Meredith’s father. Mine would start with this question: your lies sent an innocent man Patrick Lumumba to jail, so what else did you lie about?'

Scroll down for video 

Piers Morgan told Amanda Knox, pictured being held by her mother, Edda Mellas, at the Criminal Justice Festival in Italy, she should stop her '"all-about me" victim tour' out of respect for Meredith Kercher's family. It is her first return to the country since she was cleared of murdering Meredith Kercher at their rented house in Perugia in 2007

Piers Morgan told Amanda Knox, pictured being held by her mother, Edda Mellas, at the Criminal Justice Festival in Italy, she should stop her '"all-about me" victim tour' out of respect for Meredith Kercher's family. It is her first return to the country since she was cleared of murdering Meredith Kercher at their rented house in Perugia in 2007

Ms Knox hit back after his comments, saying Piers had 'begged' her to come on his show 'multiple times'. But Piers claimed she was avoiding interviews with British journalists

Ms Knox hit back after his comments, saying Piers had 'begged' her to come on his show 'multiple times'. But Piers claimed she was avoiding interviews with British journalists

Ms Knox and her mother wipe away tears as they attend the conference in Modena, despite being cleared of murder by the Italian supreme court in 2015, Ms Knox told the conference she 'still fears more charges'

Ms Knox and her mother wipe away tears as they attend the conference in Modena, despite being cleared of murder by the Italian supreme court in 2015, Ms Knox told the conference she 'still fears more charges'

Tears spill from Ms Knox's eyes as she delivers her speech at the conference in Modena, northern Italy on Saturday - she told the audience, 'I'm afraid today, now, I'm afraid of being harassed, mocked, stuck and I'm afraid that new accusations will be addressed to me just because I come here to say my version of the facts. But above all, I fear I will lack the courage.'

Tears spill from Ms Knox's eyes as she delivers her speech at the conference in Modena, northern Italy on Saturday - she told the audience, 'I'm afraid today, now, I'm afraid of being harassed, mocked, stuck and I'm afraid that new accusations will be addressed to me just because I come here to say my version of the facts. But above all, I fear I will lack the courage.'

Amanda Knox breaks down in tears as she speaks at a Criminal Justice Festival at the University of Modena, Italy on Saturday

Amanda Knox breaks down in tears as she speaks at a Criminal Justice Festival at the University of Modena, Italy on Saturday

Ms Knox covering her face during the speech
Ms Knox gestures towards the crowd

Ms Knox controversially flew into Italy this week to speak at a criminal justice forum in Modena. Her appearance was slammed by murder victim Meredith Kercher's family

At the conference on Saturday, Ms Knox told the crowd:  'I'm afraid today, now, I'm afraid of being harassed, mocked, stuck and I'm afraid that new accusations will be addressed to me just because I come here to say my version of the facts. But above all, I fear I will lack the courage.

'I know that despite my acquittal issued by the Court of Cassation, I remain a controversial figure in the presence of public opinion, above all and especially here in Italy.

'A lot of people think I'm crazy to come here. I was told that I was not safe, that I will be attacked in the streets, that I will be falsely accused and sent back to prison and that even if I return to Seattle, it will have been all in vain, it will not have been useful to anything'.  

Ms Knox, who fought a bitter legal battle against the Italian justice system, broke down in tears as she said: 'It is not enough to get it right eventually. We need to get it right sooner, to do more often than we do.' 

She also revealed she had even contemplated suicide after being accused of murder. 

'At 20-years-old I was a happy and a lively girl and I was forced to spend my 20th year imprisoned in an inhumane, unhealthy and unpredictable environment,' she said.

'Instead of dreaming about a career or a family, I contemplated suicide. On the world stage I wasn't a defendant innocent until proved guilty, the verdict fell upon me like a crushing weight.' 

Ms Knox spent four years in an Italian prison over the killing. She was later cleared along with her Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. 

Since her release, Ms Knox has written a book about her experience - 'Waiting To Be Heard: A Memoir' - been the subject of a Netflix documentary, and become a public advocate for inmates who have been wrongfully imprisoned. 

In her podcast, The Truth About True Crime, Ms Knox also spoke about her ordeal. While discussing Jens Soering, a man who falsely confessed to killing two people out of love, she talked about her own confessions.

She said: 'Jens knowingly and willingly falsely confessed to killing Nancy and Derek Haysom. My own false statements were coerced, authored by the police themselves and were the result of an abusive illegal interrogation that wasn’t recorded.'

Ms Knox also spoke about her fiancé, Chris, saying: ‘Romantic love hits me that way when I think about my fiancé Chris. It feels deep, and primary, like my need for water.’ 

Ms Knox, a former American exchange student who became the focus of a sensational murder case, arrived in Italy Thursday for the first time since an appeals court acquitted her in 2011

Ms Knox, a former American exchange student who became the focus of a sensational murder case, arrived in Italy Thursday for the first time since an appeals court acquitted her in 2011

Despite her acquittal by an Italian court in 2015 Ms Knox told a crowd on Saturday morning she still fears charges

Despite her acquittal by an Italian court in 2015 Ms Knox told a crowd on Saturday morning she still fears charges

Ms Knox wipes a tear away as she addresses journalists and members of the public during Saturday's conference at the University of Modena

Ms Knox wipes a tear away as she addresses journalists and members of the public during Saturday's conference at the University of Modena

Amanda Knox on Thursday arrived in Italy for the first time since she was released from prison in the country in 2011 

Ms Knox was barely able to get through parts of her speech on Saturday as she struggled to hold back the tears while addressing the crowd

Ms Knox was barely able to get through parts of her speech on Saturday as she struggled to hold back the tears while addressing the crowd

Ms Knox was convicted of murdering her roommate, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, in their Perugia apartment in 2007
Meredith Kercher, pictured, was killed in 2007 while on an exchange in Italy

Ms Knox (left) was convicted of murdering her roommate, British exchange student Meredith Kercher (right), in their Perugia apartment in 2007. She was later cleared of the killing

Before her trip to Italy he family of Miss Kercher labelled her return to the country 'inappropriate' and said her reappearance in the public eye was 'very painful for the family'. 

In an essay published online on Wednesday, Ms Knox said she was 'polishing up the speech I'm about to give to a potentially hostile audience in Italy'. 

The Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca told the Guardian: 'All these insistences and appearances are only ever done to keep the attention on herself.

'The murder is a tragic memory for the Kercher family, they lost their daughter and sister in such a terrible way. It's also an injustice for them as they still don't know the full truth.

Discussing Ms Knox's speech at the event, he added: 'It's unjustified because her process was not a classic case of ''judicial error''. There was a swing in the decisions: some judges decided one way, and others in another way.'

Ms Knox was pictured looking downcast as she was swarmed by gathered global media as she touched down in Milan on Thursday

Ms Knox was pictured looking downcast as she was swarmed by gathered global media as she touched down in Milan on Thursday

Shying away from cameras as she touched down in Milan, the writer and campaigner kept her head bowed as she left the airport

Shying away from cameras as she touched down in Milan, the writer and campaigner kept her head bowed as she left the airport

Ms Knox's fiancé Robinson, who  proposed to her with an elaborate sci-fi-themed display last November, sported multicoloured trousers and a trilby hat at the airport

Ms Knox's fiancé Robinson, who  proposed to her with an elaborate sci-fi-themed display last November, sported multicoloured trousers and a trilby hat at the airport

Novelist Christopher Robinson, 36, who is engaged to Ms Knox (back right) held his arm out to passing cameras as the couple touched down in the airport

Novelist Christopher Robinson, 36, who is engaged to Ms Knox (back right) held his arm out to passing cameras as the couple touched down in the airport

Wearing her auburn hair pinned back, the justice campaigner appeared sombre as she was flanked by expectant travellers at the airport
Ms Knox, who has pursued a career in broadcasting and campaigning since leaving prison in 2011, wore dark grey trousers with a check pattern and a black T-shirt

Wearing her auburn hair pinned back, the justice campaigner appeared sombre as she was flanked by expectant travellers at the airport. Ms Knox, who has pursued a career in broadcasting and campaigning since leaving prison in 2011, wore dark grey trousers with a check pattern and a black T-shirt

Ms Knox appeared sombre and with her head bowed when she landed. But appeared more relaxed at the cocktail event in Modena, Italy

Ms Knox appeared sombre and with her head bowed when she landed. But appeared more relaxed at the cocktail event in Modena, Italy

Ms Knox laughing at a cocktail event on the eve of the opening of the Criminal Justice festival, in Modena, Italy. It is in contrast to when Ms Knox landed in Milan, where she kept her head bowed

Ms Knox laughing at a cocktail event on the eve of the opening of the Criminal Justice festival, in Modena, Italy. It is in contrast to when Ms Knox landed in Milan, where she kept her head bowed

The Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca told the Guardian: 'All these insistences and appearances are only ever done to keep the attention on herself.

'The murder is a tragic memory for the Kercher family, they lost their daughter and sister in such a terrible way. It's also an injustice for them as they still don't know the full truth.

Discussing Ms Knox's speech at the event, he added: 'It's unjustified because her process was not a classic case of 'judicial error'. There was a swing in the decisions: some judges decided one way, and others in another way.'

Kercher's half-naked body was found on November 2, 2007, in a back room of the apartment she and Ms Knox shared in Perugia.

The 21-year-old had been stabbed 47 times and had her throat slashed. Police also found signs of sexual assault.

Rudy Guede, an Ivory Coast-born drifter and small-time drug dealer, was eventually convicted of the murder and is serving a 16-year sentence in an Italian prison.

Ms Knox, flanked by her boyfriend Christopher Robinson, is moved and dries her eyes while listening to the the speech of Angelo Massaro, a man victim of a judicial error, during the conference of the Criminal Justice Festival on Friday

Ms Knox, flanked by her boyfriend Christopher Robinson, is moved and dries her eyes while listening to the the speech of Angelo Massaro, a man victim of a judicial error, during the conference of the Criminal Justice Festival on Friday

Ms Knox previously said she was 'polishing up the speech I'm about to give to a potentially hostile audience in Italy'

Ms Knox previously said she was 'polishing up the speech I'm about to give to a potentially hostile audience in Italy'

The conference was organised by a group of Modena lawyers and the Italy Innocence Project, who invited Ms Knox

The conference was organised by a group of Modena lawyers and the Italy Innocence Project, who invited Ms Knox