Mez: A FORBIDDEN ZONE (3#) -

Murder of Meredith Kercher -

Proceedings for the case are scheduled to resume tomorrow. Julie Bindel writes a Think piece on the case at The Guardian in which she attempts to enter into the zone of mental territory we tend to associate with mystery novelist Ruth Rendell. Beyond this point, as the saying goes, there may be dragons.

Bindel starts out with this tentative premise: "What I have found in cases where women are accused of such horrific crimes is that a man close to her is the main instigator."

But she doesn't follow through with it. She doesn't construct a chain of reason flowing from this premise and doesn't explore this territory. Instead, she says that this case is different and then switches gears.

Why would Knox commit such a crime, she asks. According to my understanding, it's a superfluous question because they are not charging for murder one with malice aforethought.

Bindel sets up an intriguing premise, but then doesn't produce a payoff on it. Let's follow through with her original premise:

The lovebirds share their sexual fantasies. In an effort to sexually please her partner, Knox arranges a scenario similar to the kind of things we see advertised in the backpages of demi-monde publications which offer bondage, dungeon, slave and other role-playing sex games. These scenarios present the allure and frisson of the forbidden - behavior which we normally do not "permit" ourselves to engage in. And the result is: the scenario developed into this crime. In effect, I suppose you could say, it was a kind of sexual thrill kill.

The administrator postulates it was fueled by drugs. The duo say they smoked cannabis. But the cannabis may have been laced with something else. Drugs may have loosened their usual inhibitions.

The prosecutor theorized that the sexual scenario was inspired by the vampire books found on Sollecito's bedside table. The administrator ruled that whatever the inspiration may have been, it is extraneous or unnecessary to the case.

Credit Bindel with an effort to write a thoughtful piece. But she seems locked into a narrow pattern which doesn't work successfully as a template in this situation.

Tomorrow (Friday), the Postal Police are scheduled to testify. Then, on Saturday, the residents of the cottage on Pergola St are scheduled to testify. This session will include the female roommates and the boys downstairs.

# Another Book: The Bookseller reports that John Follain has been commissioned by publishers Hodder & Stoughton to write a book on the case.

# Elsewhere: Did you know that Dr Mignini is on Facebook? Apparently so. Frank at Perugia Shock Blog has just posted a new blog entry about him.

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