Amanda Knox’s ex Raffaele Sollecito sat down for a one-on-one with TODAY ‘s Savannah Guthrie to explain why he always protected Knox and says he isn’t afraid of going back to jail. He added that Knox considers him “a hero.”
“I’m innocent, and we got evidence of our innocence, so we will fight until the end without any worry,” Sollecito said .
Sollecito was dating Knox back in 2007 , and though they were together for just one week, they came under investigation for the murder of Knox’s roommate, Meredith Kercher . The two were accused by Italian prosecutors of killing Kercher after a sex act went awry.
Rudy Guede, an Ivory Coast native, was also accused and ultimately convicted of Kercher’s sexual assault and murder.
Sollecito and Knox spent four years in prison until an appeals court acquitted them in 2011. Though there was initially insufficient evidence to convict them in part for Kercher’s murder, the Italian high court overturned the ruling two months ago, ordering a new trial to begin next year.
So is Amanda Knox’s ex afraid of going back to prison if the two are found guilty?
“No,” he replied. “It’s something like a very far-away thought in my mind. I already know that I’m innocent and we already have proved it. So for me, it’s kind of nonsense.”
He said that he knew that Knox was innocent, and therefore couldn’t bring himself to implicate her, despite pleas from friends and family.
“(Amanda) told me that she thinks that I’m a kind of hero, but I don’t feel so,” he said. “And I don’t need any kind of gratitude… I did it because I know it’s the truth. It’s the good thing to do. It’s the only way for me.”
Sollecito said that he and Knox remain in touch, and have talked about what could happen as they head back to court. Guthrie asked him if he has faith in the Italian justice system, to which he merely replied “I have faith in God.”
Who can say whether the old religious adage “the truth shall set you free” will work for Amanda Knox’s ex.
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