Kercher family petitions to cancel Knox Fringe show

The family of Meredith Kercher has called for the cancellation of a comedy show by Amanda Knox at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, describing it as an inappropriate trivialization of a murder. Knox, who was wrongfully convicted and later definitively acquitted of Kercher's 2007 murder, is set to debut her one-woman show, "Cartwheel," beginning this weekend at the Gilded Balloon Teviot venue.

The show's title references a widely reported but denied claim that Knox performed cartwheels in a police station following her initial questioning. Knox has described the show as a comedic exploration of motherhood and how she will explain her wrongful imprisonment to her young daughter. She has stated explicitly that she does not joke about Kercher's death, only about how she was vilified during the legal ordeal.

Despite these assurances, a petition launched by Sally Alington, a friend of the Kercher family, has garnered thousands of signatures. The petition alleges the show turns Kercher's assault and murder into entertainment, disrespects her memory, and risks normalizing violence against women. Meredith Kercher's sister, Stephanie Kercher, has publicly backed the petition. She said she...