Kercher trial to be held in public

THE trial of two former lovers charged with the murder of British student Meredith Kercher will be held in public, a judge ruled yesterday.

American Amanda Knox, 21, from Seattle, and Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 24, appeared in front of an eight-member jury in a courthouse in the university town of Perugia at the opening of the trial this morning.

A lawyer for Kercher’s family sought to have the proceedings closed to the public and media to prevent the publication of sensitive evidence, but the presiding judge ruled the trial would remain open.