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Raffaele Sollecito
Raffaele Sollecito should be feeling pretty good about the success of his new book Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox, as he recently returned home to Italy after a successful book tour in the United States. His book is currently listed on the New York Times Best Seller List for e-books in the nonfiction category.
Meredith Kercher was murdered in Perugia Italy, November 1, 2007. Her murder changed many lives forever. For Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, it was the beginning of a long drawn out nightmare that would last nearly four years. On November 6, 2007, Amanda and Raffaele were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in Meredith’s murder. Both were wrongfully convicted of the crime in December 2009 and later acquitted on appeal in October 2011.
During their time in prison Amanda and Raffaele were silenced leaving the world to discuss every detail of their lives. As the one year anniversary of their acquittal approaches it is now their turn to speak. Raffaele’s book Honor Bound was released in September 2012 and Amanda has a book expected to be released in 2013.
Honor Bound is an impressive read. Raffaele takes you through his nightmare journey from beginning to end, pulling no punches along the way. My involvement with this case left me wondering how much new information I would learn from Raffaele’s book. My research that led me to write Injustice in Perugia, a book detailing the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, left me with a good grasp of the facts surrounding the case but there was much I still did not know about Raffaele. I knew Raffaele must have been strong to endure 4 years of hell but I could not have imagined just how strong he was without reading the details in his own words. Raffaele’s true character is revealed when he discusses the intense pressure he was under from his family and lawyers to separate himself from Amanda Knox. He could have easily taken the advice of his loved ones and legal counsel in order to save himself but he refused to do so. Raffaele stood strong because he would not lie, no matter what the consequences would bring. Raffaele discusses the horrific experience of being locked away in solitary confinement giving him 6 long months to think about his future. Even in his most desperate moments, Raffaele resisted the temptation to turn on Amanda in order to save himself from the painful silence of being alone. His strength in these trying times was extraordinary.
Raffaele poignantly describes how he and Amanda survived their ordeal by never wavering in their support for each other:
“Amanda and I will forever be associated, for better and for worse, because of what we went through. I’ll never be entirely comfortable with that, because of the memories it inevitably dredges up. But Amanda herself will always be a treasure. She was good to me from the beginning, and she stood by me when I needed her most, just as I stood by her. We are free today because of the support we were able to offer each other in our darkest moments. The romance that made headlines around the world was a fleeting thing, but that deeper trust, the inherent faith we had in each other even as others dragged us endlessly through the mud, defines us as human beings. It’s what kept us sane for four long years in prison. And, I am quite certain, it will endure.”
Raffaele’s American book tour put him in the forefront for the first time in five years. The media has always focused on Amanda Knox (by no choice of her own), usually referring to Raffaele as “Amanda’s former boyfriend.” Raffaele still found himself being introduced in a similar fashion while on his book tour, but after the initial introduction, most interviewers gave him the full attention he was entitled to. Raffaele was passionate and concise in his interviews leaving no doubt of his innocence. Those in the media that vilified Raffaele during his incarceration should now come to realize they were on the wrong side of history. I am sure many have already done so but I doubt the worst offenders will ever admit they were wrong.
Yellow journalists like Barbie Nadeau, Nick Pisa, and Andrea Vogt, had no use for Raffaele when creating salacious headlines about a young attractive lady killer. These Architects of the Foxy Knoxy myth had the same disregard for the truth, often ignoring it completely. Now it is time for these journalists to shut up and listen as two innocent people (they chose to victimize in their repulsive articles) tell their side of the story. Nadeau, Pisa, and Vogt, would be ashamed of themselves if they ever took the time to get to know the real Raffaele Sollecito.
Meredith Kercher’s murder was a tragedy that was compounded when two innocent people were wrongfully convicted for the crime. This case will hopefully help to shine a spotlight on the worldwide epidemic of wrongful convictions.
Honor Bound is a gripping story showing that honesty and courage can prevail even when facing daunting challenges. I highly recommend this book.