Knox stepfather: Amanda is innocent

Nov 27 - Twenty-two-year-old American student Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito appear in court accused by prosecutors of instigating the killing of Meredith Kercher.

British student Kercher was found half naked in her bedroom with her throat slashed in the central Italian university town of Perugia in November 2007. The accused pair deny the charges.

Ivorian Rudy Guede, who fled to Germany after the killing, has already been sentenced to 30 years in prison for his part in the murder of Kercher.

Amanda Knox's stepfather, Chris Mellas, who was present in court, professed her innocence saying, "as soon as we get a chance to explain to everyone what we think really happened, then I think everyone will understand."