The family of Lyle and Erik Menendez has demanded a resentencing for the brothers, who have been incarcerated for over three decades for the brutal 1989 shotgun murder of their parents. More than 20 relatives gathered at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, arguing that the Menendez brothers were subjected to 'unspeakable cruelty' by their father, music executive Jose, and that their ordeal was overlooked during their 1993 trial because society had not yet recognized that men could be victims of sexual abuse.
'If they were the Menendez sisters, they would not be in custody. We have evolved, and it’s time for them to be released,' stated Anna Maria Baralt, Jose Menendez’s niece.
Their aunt, Joan Vandermolen, revealed that she was unaware of the extent of the abuse they endured at the hands of her brother-in-law. 'None of us did. But looking back, I can see the fear their father instilled in them,' added Vandermolen, whose sister was their mother, Kitty.
'The truth is, Lyle and Erik were failed by the very people who should have protected them. By their parents, by the system, by society at large. When they stood trial, the world was not ready to believe boys could be raped or that young men could be victims of sexual violence. Today we know better,' she concluded.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
