Why Hasn’t Amanda Knox Apologized to Patrick Lumumba?
Formerly jailed for murder, Knox falsely accused a Black man of the crime and ruined his life
Amanda Knox continues to be the center of media clownery, with the latest headlines claiming that she’s now “friends” with the Italian prosecutor who once threw her behind bars. There’s still something missing from media reports, however, and that’s the apology owed to a man named Patrick Lumumba. Lumumba became involved in Knox’s notorious case when she falsely accused him of killing her flatmate. This false accusation led to Lumumba being jailed for approximately two weeks, and ultimately left his life in ruins. While Knox continues to celebrate her freedom, she continues to refuse to apologize to the Black man she falsely accused. Why is that?
Amanda Knox should apologize to Patrick Lumumba
When Amanda was initially questioned in relation to the murder of Meredith Kercher in 2007, she directly pointed fingers at Lumumba, a man who had kindly hired her to work for him while she stayed in Italy. Knox told authorities that her former boss had broken into the home she shared with Meredith and other roommates, before sexually assaulting and killing the young coed. This led to the African immigrant being arrested, even though he had never met Meredith Kercher — nor had he ever been at the home where Knox and the victim lived.
This wasn’t a case of mistaken identity. In fact, Amanda knew that Patrick Lumumba wasn’t guilty of killing Meredith Kercher. This fact was solidified in evidence in the trial against Knox, her former boyfriend and their friend Rudy Guede. Knox eventually recanted her claims against Lumumba, but the damage had already been done. The wrongly accused Congolese immigrant was dragged from his own home by police as his traumatized wife and children watched in horror. He was jailed and treated like a bloodthirsty murderer, when he was innocent.
Knox addressed the false accusation of Patrick Lumumba sometime in 2014, but she never directly apologized. Instead, she offered a multitude of excuses for why she chose to falsely accused a Black man — a Black man who had shown her nothing but hospitality — of killing her friend.
Now it’s 2022, and a direct apology to Patrick Lumumba shouldn’t be off the table. Knox was full of excuses for her actions in 2014, but she has had ample time to grow and mature as a person.
