Rome ( CNN ) -- The parents of Amanda Knox , an American convicted of murdering her British roommate in 2007 , were indicted Tuesday for allegedly libeling police in Perugia , Italy , Knox 's mother and the family 's Italian attorney said . In a 2009 interview in the Sunday Times of London , Curt Knox and Edda Mellas said that their daughter `` had not been given an interpreter , had not received food and water and had been physically and verbally abused '' by police after her arrest for the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher , according to Italy 's ANSA news agency . They also said police struck her and told her `` things will get worse for you '' if she requested an attorney . `` Yes , I am going to trial for libel ... along with one of my lawyers and a group of journalists , '' Mellas told CNN Tuesday . `` We are very upset by this decision , '' said Luciano Ghirga , Amanda Knox 's attorney who represents her family in this case . `` We worked towards a dismissal because there was no intent '' on the part of Knox 's parents to libel the police , he said . The indictment says their claims were `` contrary to the truth , '' according to ANSA . A hearing in the case is set for July 4 , Ghirga said . `` These are old charges , '' said David Marriott , spokesman for the family . `` They 've been around since 2009 . '' The story in question was published in 2008 , he said , and Knox 's parents were repeating what their daughter had told them . The indictment , Marriott said , finalizes the charges the prosecutor had filed and is `` nothing surprising . '' Knox 's parents ' focus is not on their case , he said , but on her appeal of her conviction , which is under way . There is a break in the proceedings for experts to retest forensic evidence , he said . `` This is , I guess you 'd call it , a bit of a minor distraction , '' Marriott said . Knox , 23 , was sentenced in December to 26 years in prison for Kercher 's death at the villa the two shared in Perugia , the central Italian town where both were students . Kercher , 21 , was found dead in November 2007 , semi-naked with her throat slashed . Knox and her former Italian boyfriend , Raffaele Sollecito , were both found guilty of the murder . Sollecito is serving a 25-year sentence . A third person , Rudy Guede , a drifter originally from the Ivory Coast , was tried separately and is serving a 16-year prison sentence . The forensic experts retesting evidence as part of Knox 's appeal must conclude their analysis by May 9 and their results are to be presented on May 21 to a jury composed of two judges and six citizens . Evidence being retested includes a knife found in Sollecito 's apartment with Knox 's DNA on the handle and what Perugia prosecutors say is Kercher 's DNA in a tiny groove on the blade . The prosecution contends that the knife was used to stab Kercher in the neck and that it had been cleaned . The DNA matter attributed to Kercher consists of flesh , not blood , they say . The sample , however , was so small that forensic scientists investigating Kercher 's murder were not able to double test it in accordance with international forensic science norms , which Knox 's legal team says raises doubts about its validity . The second piece of evidence the forensic experts will test is the tiny metal clasp from Kercher 's bra , which was cut from her body after her slaying . Forensic scientists in the investigatory phase determined that Sollecito 's DNA is present on the metal clasp . The clasp was identified on an investigatory video on November 2 , 2007 , when Kercher 's body was found . But the clasp was not collected until nearly six weeks later , giving the defense cause to question whether the sample may have been contaminated . The court is not expected to make a final ruling on the appeal until next summer . CNN 's Hada Messia , Ashley Hayes , Todd Schwarzschild and journalist Barbie Nadeau contributed to this report .
UK : A family spokesman says Knox 's parents are working on her appeal . Curt ##in and Edda Mellas claim their daughter told them she was physically and verbally abused . The claims were made in a 2009 Sunday Times of London interview . A hearing is set for July 1st .