Menendez brothers’ family foundation organization: “New Covenant of Hope”

Amid the emotional weight of a 35-year battle, Anamaria Baralt stood alongside nearly two dozen members of the Menendez family, whose voices united in the call for justice for brothers Erik and Lyle.

“Here we are, both sides of the family – united. We share a new bond of hope,” said Baralt, Jose Menendez’s niece. “I hope that a new result will be achieved with the re-examination of her case. I hope this 35-year nightmare comes to an end and we are reunited as a family. I am here to ask the DA's office to consider the bigger picture, the truth that has been hidden for so long.

Members of the Menendez family gathered in Los Angeles on Wednesday to launch an initiative that shines a spotlight on the childhood sexual abuse Erik and Lyle endured. Baralt said, “On behalf of our entire family, it is an honor to introduce our new coalition, Justice For Erik & Lyle.”

The news conference was the largest official gathering of members of both sides of the family since District Attorney George Gascón began reviewing the case earlier this year. Family members were joined by Erik and Lyle's attorney, Mark Geragos, who emphasized that the brothers' sentences did not fully take into account the decades of traumatic sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of their father.

In an attack at their Beverly Hills home in 1989, the brothers shot their father Jose and mother Kitty Menendez a total of 14 times.

Lyle, then 21, and Erik, then 18, admitted that they shot their Hollywood executive father and mother because they feared their parents would kill them to expose Erik's alleged long-term sexual harassment to prevent the father.

On February 2, 1996, the jury found both brothers guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a sentence they have been serving ever since.

Now, 35 years later, the family is urging supporters to visit their website and sign a petition calling on prosecutors to take action. Joan VanderMolen, Kitty's sister, said the family's decision to launch the initiative came after the brothers received overwhelming support.

“I want to thank everyone who has reached out to our family over the last few days and weeks asking how they can help,” VanderMolan said. “We have an answer. Please sign our petition.”

Justice For Erik & Lyle follows the discovery of new evidence currently being examined by Gascón.

Gascon said Newsweek His office is currently reviewing a 1988 letter from Erik to his cousin Andy Cano about the alleged sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. The new evidence also includes a statement from a former Menudo member who claims he was also sexually abused by José.

The hearing is scheduled for November 29th. Newsweek contacted the district attorney's office to see if progress had been made on a decision following the family's press conference. You haven't replied yet.

“Don’t have to fit a certain mold.”

The initiative's website states: “Over the past three decades, society's understanding of the impact of sexual abuse on victims – including male victims – has evolved significantly. Still, Lyle and Erik's sentence reflects the outdated notion that boys cannot be victims of sexual abuse. “Now, with new evidence available to the Los Angeles District Attorney, Lyle and Erik's family is fighting for a resentencing.”

Vandermolen said if the brothers were tried today, the court would admit evidence of their father's abuse, providing crucial context for their actions.

“In the years since her conviction, society’s understanding of sexual abuse and its psychological impact has grown significantly,” VanderMolen said. “We understand that a person does not have to fit a certain pattern, be it gender or socioeconomic status, to experience abuse.”

Prosecutors argued that there was no evidence of abuse because evidence of harassment was excluded by the judge during their second trial in 1995. They claimed that the brothers were motivated by greed and aimed at inheriting their parents' multi-million dollar estate – a claim the defense rejected.

Deborah Tuerkheimer, a former Manhattan district attorney and author of Credible, recounted Newsweek Boys who are victims of sexual abuse and assault face additional challenges because such cases are less common and often less recognized, although these difficulties were even greater decades ago.

“When victims don't behave or look the way we expect them to, we tend to think of them as untrustworthy, and boys don't really fit into the popular idea of ​​who a victim of abuse is,” said the author.

She emphasized that family matters present particular challenges in court because the law traditionally regulates violence between strangers. This focus complicates matters when similar problems arise within families.

“The law does not respond well to problems of abuse within a family, be it domestic violence or child abuse,” Türkheimer said Newsweek. “Whether it’s abused women fighting back or children fighting back, it can be difficult to incorporate the reality of abuse into our legal doctrines, rules and defenses.”

Jennifer Simmons Kaleba, vice president of communications for RAINN, said Newsweek Not being believed from the start can be one of the most damaging experiences for a survivor. The level of faith they receive shapes their entire path and affects their chances of obtaining legal justice.

According to the initiative's website, sexual abuse is a widespread and underreported problem, particularly among boys and men. Research shows that at least one in six men have experienced sexual abuse or assault, whether as a child or adult. This number is likely underestimated because many men never disclose their abuse due to social stigma, fear or shame.

For male survivors, the effects of abuse can be profound and long-lasting. Studies have shown that men who have experienced sexual abuse are at much higher risk for mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance abuse and even suicidal thoughts. The trauma can impact their relationships, academic performance, and professional success, and many survivors struggle with it in silence for years.

“A shocking statistic shows that more boys experience sexual abuse than develop prostate cancer – the most common cancer in men,” the website says. “And yet public awareness of male sexual abuse remains shockingly low, perpetuating a cycle of misunderstanding and neglect. “It is time to break the silence and stand with survivors like Lyle and Erik Menendez, who have suffered a lifetime of trauma that has never been fully acknowledged in court.”

The brothers are on a mission to raise awareness for male victims of sexual assault during their time in prison.

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