HispanicBusiness

Defence pleas in the appeal processes of Amanda Knox and Raffaelle Sollecito, two former lovers convicted in 2009 of the Italian murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher, got underway Tuesday.

The case has made headlines due to the violent nature of Kercher's death and the various foreign backgrounds of those involved.

Kercher was found murdered on November 2, 2007 in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia - half-naked, raped, with her throat cut, and covered with more than 40 stab wounds and injuries.

At the time, Knox, a US citizen, and Sollecito, an Italian were dating.

Giulia Bongiorno, Sollecito's lawyer, told the court there is no doubt that Knox and Sollecito are innocent. She said Knox has been unfairly branded a femme fatale and that there was no evidence to tie Sollecito to the murder.

"There is nothing that connects Raffaele with this act," said Giulia Bongiorno, Sollecito's lawyer.

Further, she said the entire case was founded on "DNA tests that have been found to be faulty in the mean time," referring to ongoing efforts by defence attorneys to call into question the evidence used against Knox and Sollecito.

Prosecutors have termed that attempt a "distortion of reality."

Knox's defence is set to speak on Thursday, following a one-day adjournment. On Saturday, the prosecution called for life sentences in both cases.

The verdict is expected on Monday, according to Italian media.

Knox was labelled "the angel with eyes of ice" by the media, in reference to her angelic appearance, which contrasts with the dark proceedings of the murder trial.

In the original trial, Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison and Sollecito to 25 years. An accomplice, Rudy Guede, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.