The brother of Meredith Kercher has condemned parts of the media for publishing a picture of his sister as she lay dead on her bedroom floor.

In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Lyle Kercher, 28, said he wanted to be "left to suffer in peace", adding that he had thought he was dreaming after seeing the photograph published in some papers of his 21-year-old sister after she had had her throat cut in Italy.

However, Mr Kercher today said he had not spoken to a reporter from La Stampa but had answered two questions through an Italian lawyer involved in the case who then relayed his responses to a reporter. Mr Kercher added that he did not expect to be quoted directly.

The journalist who conducted the interview for La Stampa said she submitted questions through the Kercher family's Italian lawyer. Lyle Kercher's responses were passed back to the paper and the interview published in good faith.

New witness 'saw Meredith suspects together'

Amanda Knox, Raffaele Sollecito and Rudy Guede were see at the house in Perugia where the American student died

Multimedia

• Murder in Perugia

BACKGROUND

• Meredith Kercher: Q&A

• New DNA not from Meredith suspects

• Timings crucial to Kercher murder investigation

Related Links

• Meredith or Madeleine: it's trial by media

• Meredith ‘killed after refusing orgy’

• Student killer leaves bloody footprint clue

The La Stampa report claimed he said: "All I know is that when I saw they had published the photograph of my sister lying on the floor of her bedroom, I thought I was dreaming, I thought that this can’t be true.

"It is intolerable, absolutely intolerable. Allow us the right to suffer in peace."

He added that it was hard for his family to be at the centre of a media frenzy surrounding the case and endure the constant drip of information about those suspected of involvement in the killing.

"Not only because there still isn’t anyone guilty, but sometimes it almost seems as if there wasn’t even a crime," he said.

"My family trusts the magistrates in Perugia. Totally. Let’s let them do their work."

He added that if those responsible for his sister’s death were not brought to justice it would be "like killing Mez a second time".

He added that he would travel to Italy to follow the trial and sit "in the front row" of the court. He said that his sister was a "marvellous girl".

Miss Kercher, a Leeds University student, travelled to Perugia in August for a year-long study exchange at the city’s University for Foreigners.

She was murdered on November 2 in the home she was renting with fellow students in Perugia.

Miss Kercher’s American flatmate, Amanda Knox, Knox’s boyfriend Italian Raffaele Sollecito, and a barman, Congolese immigrant Lumumba Diya have been arrested in connection with the killing.

They face charges of aggravated homicide and sexual assault in relation to the murder of Kercher, who was a Leeds University student on a year-long exchange. All deny involvement in Miss Kercher’s death.

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