Amanda Knox’s slander case in Italy has been postponed until next year because the judge is busy with another trial.

She faces a charge of slander in Perugia for publicly accusing police of physically and verbally abusing her during questioning over the murder of her British room-mate Meredith Kercher in 2007.

Ms Knox’s conviction for murdering her was overturned on appeal last year. The 24-year-old US student was freed after four years in jail and returned home.

The same appeals court upheld a conviction of slander against Ms Knox for falsely accusing a bar owner of involvement in the murder.

She is appealing against that conviction.

A court has postponed the slander case until February 5.

The semi-naked body of Ms Kercher, a Leeds University exchange student from Coulsdon in Surrey, was found on November 2, 2007, in her bedroom at the Perugia house she shared with Ms Knox and others.

Her throat had been slit and her door left locked.

Ms Knox, also a student at the time, was sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito to 25 but both strenuously protested their innocence from behind bars.

Prosecutors are appealing against the acquittals to Italy’s Supreme Court, with a decision expected in the autumn.