Exchange student - the final blow against an old tradition

I still keep my access to foreign newspapers. I happen to have stumbled over an article about Amanda Knox - a young American exchange student being framed on a murder in Italy.

Now they wont let her get access to independent forensic experts, so they can question the so-called evidence in the case.

I have to say so-called evidence.

Take my home. In my kitchen you will find knives. You will be able to find my DNA on them. Why?

Because I live here!

You will also be able to find DNA from the other members of my household on every knife in the kitchen because we happen to involve our children in the process of making food.

Amanda Knox and the murdered english woman none seem to remember the name on shared an apartment, so it is obvious that Miss Knox's DNA should be on every item they share in the home. It is hardly surprising.

Now we all know that they will find her guilty. She is without any real defense. There was never an intention of giving her a fair trial!!

Her case was a final warning that laws have changed in the world since 9/11. Now you cannot travel abroad and be secured a legal defense if something goes wrong. It is sad because it is important to secure travelers legal protection. It is not that people travel to another country with intention to commit a crime, but people are easy picked on when they are foreigners.

I remember a former Danish soccer player, who was sentenced to jail just because he happened to drive a car in a town where one of his teammates was involved in a traffic accident. I googled and found a website with more info about this case and some others where Danish citizens have become victims of xenophobia.

To make matter worse returning to your native country is not guarantee that you are safe. A Danish woman - Camilla Broe - was extradited on some very loose claims about her having covered up a crime made by a former boyfriend. She is facing a showtrial in Miami in December having left behind a 10 year old daughter.

It is as awful as it can get and I am so disappointed that the Danish courts let her go regardless of the fact that the charges they were presented for are far from those she is facing abroad. Then what is the point of letting Danish authorities look at the charges if they can be altered when she is leaving Denmark?

Anyhow the Amanda Knox case is for me marking an end to a period where families could allow their relatives to travel abroad and study. I would never let my children travel abroad.