Italian Judge Indicts Amanda Knox's Parents

By STACY MEICHTRY

ROME—A judge on Tuesday indicted the parents of American student Amanda Knox on a charge of slander, the latest chapter in a murder trial that has become an international sensation.

In a court hearing, Judge Carla Giangamboni ordered Curt Knox, father of Amanda Knox, and Edda Mellas, her mother, to stand trial in a Perugia court for alleging in a 2008 newspaper interview that Italian police abused their daughter, according to a copy of the indictment published by Italian news agency ANSA. The indictment was confirmed by a person familiar with the matter.

Luciano Ghirga, a lawyer for the Knox family, didn't respond to phone calls seeking comment on the matter.

Ms. Knox, who is from Seattle, and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, are appealing a 2009 conviction for murdering British student Meredith Kercher during a drug-induced sexual assault in November 2007. Ms. Knox is serving a 26-year sentence and Mr. Sollecito is serving 25 years. Both Ms. Knox and Mr. Sollecito have repeatedly denied killing Ms. Kercher. Ms. Kercher and Ms. Knox had roomed together while attending courses at the University of Perugia.

Judge Giangamboni scheduled the trial to begin July 4. Slander is a criminal charge under Italian law, and it carries a sentence of up to three years in prison

In the indictment of Ms. Knox's parents, Judge Giangamboni said the slander charge stemmed from allegations Mr. Knox and Mrs. Mellas made in an interview with The Sunday Times of London, according to ANSA.

In that interview, the parents were quoted saying their daughter was subjected to physical and verbal abuse during a police interrogation in 2007, following the murder of Ms. Kercher, her roommate. Police have repeatedly denied the abuse allegations and later filed a complaint against the parents.

The Sunday Times is published by News Corp., which owns The Wall Street Journal.

Write to Stacy Meichtry at stacy.meichtry@wsj.com