Letters should be sent by email to letters@universityobserver.ie or by mail to
The Editor, The University Observer, Student Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4.
All letters are subject to editorial approval. The Editor reserves the right to edit any letters.

Amanda Knox trial

Madam,

Do you accept submissions from Americans? You probably think that many of us back U.S. attempts to reverse the trial of Amanda Knox, but it is not so. Hence, my letter.

Recently, 22 year old American Amanda Knox was convicted of the killing of her British roommate in Italy. She stood trial in Italy, and the court heard a voluminous amount of evidence pointing to her guilt. She will be serving 26 years in prison.

The family of Amanda Knox is insisting that the Italian legal system is flawed.

But is the Italian system flawed, or does the American justice system still view women as belonging to the “weaker sex”, and in need of special protection?

If the U.S. Government runs to the aid of Amanda Knox and tries to reverse the outcome of a perfectly good trial, they are indeed making such a sexist statement.

Therefore, barring grave procedural error, the U.S. Government needs to stay out of the affair, and let justice be served in memory of the murdered victim, Meredith Kercher.

Yours, etc,

Joe Rodrigue
San Dimas, California

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Confidentiality of Student Records

Madam,

May I thank you for publishing Gavan Reilly’s front page article, revealing how the University Observer practiced a deception upon the UCD Student Desk [Issue 6, November 24th]. I think all UCD administrative staff should keep a copy of the article to hand, to produce when students (and staff) complain about “bureaucracy”, “red tape”, and “jobsworthiness”.

Of course those details should not have been revealed, and of course there are valid concerns about confidentiality following last year’s posting of personal details on Blackboard, as mentioned in the article. There is also such a thing as gentlemanliness. Never mind. The University Observer is obviously training its reporters for a bright future in the Sunday World or the Daily Mirror, the sterling “I made my excuses and left” school of reportage.

Yours, etc.,

Maolsheachlann Ó Ceallaigh
Library Assistant, James Library