When cast and crew arrived in Perugia to shoot a Hulu series produced by Knox and Monica Lewinsky, the mayor felt obliged to write a heartfelt letter of apology to the city.

The filming of Amanda Knox’s new Hulu series in Perugia, Italy— the site of her roommate Meredith Kercher’s murder in 2007— is sparking a wave of backlash from locals.

A statement, however, did come from Vittoria Ferdinandi, the mayor of the aforementioned city in Italy. The politician wrote a letter to citizens, and it was published in local newspapers. Not only did Ferdinandi apologize to them for the decision to allow the show to film in town, but she also explained her reasoning for the choice:

Film crews were met with banners reading “Rispetto per Meredith” ("Respect for Meredith") as they arrived to start shooting the eight-part series. View on euronews

The presence of those working on Hulu‘s Amanda Knox series in the Italian city of Perugia is prompting backlash after filming began near where student Meredith Kercher was found stabbed to death 17 years ago.