Netflix series Adolescence shocks parents, raises concerns about online radicalization
The Netflix series Adolescence has left many parents unsettled. The disturbing drama follows the case of a 13-year-old boy accused of stabbing a classmate to death — raising urgent questions about youth violence and online radicalization. Are parents doing enough to educate and protect their children? Matthew Johnson, director of education at MediaSmarts, weighs in.
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Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Vinícius won't get involved as Valencia makes legal threats over racism claim in Netflix documentary
MADRID (AP) — Vinícius Júnior isn't expected to get involved as Valencia threatens legal action over what it described as 'falsehoods' in a Netflix documentary about the player and the racist insults made against him at the Spanish club's stadium two years ago. Valencia said a recently launched documentary mistakenly accuses a large group of Valencia fans of making racist chants against the Real Madrid forward in a league match in 2023. The club has demanded an immediate rectification by the documentary's production company. Vinícius' representatives on Tuesday said the demand is against Netflix and the producers of the documentary, and that the player doesn't have anything to do with it. A request for comment sent to Netflix was not immediately answered. The documentary includes a social media video showing what appeared to be a large crowd at Mestalla Stadium chanting at Vinícius. The video has the word 'mono,' Spanish for monkey, in the subtitles. But Valencia claims the fans were actually chanting 'tonto,' which is Spanish for silly. 'Because of the injustice and falsehoods against Valencia fans, the club has demanded an immediate written rectification from the documentary's production company regarding the events at Mestalla, which do not correspond to reality. The truth and respect for our fans must prevail. Valencia reserves the right to take legal action,' the club posted in a statement on X. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was quick to accuse the Valencia fans of racially insulting Vinícius, but later apologized after saying he realized that it wasn't the entire stadium chanting the word monkey. There were fans who did racially abuse Vinícius during that match. Three of them became the first fans to be convicted in racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain, being handed eighth-month prison sentences. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. During their trial, experts showed that the video with the subtitles 'monkey' was edited and did not correspond to reality, according to Spanish media. Vinícius, who was repeatedly subjected to racist insults, was in tears during that match against Valencia in 2023. He confronted a Valencia fan who called him a monkey and made monkey gestures from the stands behind one of the goals. The Brazil forward initially didn't want to continue playing that day. He eventually vowed to not back down in the fight against racism. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
15-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Judge in LA delays until January decision on resentencing Menendez brothers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Monday delayed until January his decision on whether to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez for killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion 35 years ago, squashing their family's hope the brothers would be released and home for the holidays. Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic said at the hearing in Los Angeles that he needed time to review 17 boxes of documents and give a new district attorney in Los Angeles County time to weigh in on the case. 'I'm not ready to go forward,' Jesic said, setting the hearing for the resentencing request for Jan. 30 instead of Dec. 11 as originally planned. The brothers were scheduled to be seen in court for the first time in decades at the hearing but technical problems prevented them from appearing virtually from a San Diego prison. They were found guilty of murdering Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. While their defense attorneys argued at trial that they had been sexually abused by their father, prosecutors denied that and accused them of killing their parents for money. In the years that followed, they repeatedly appealed their convictions without success. Now, at 53 and 56, Erik and Lyle Menendez are making a new bid for freedom. Their lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition — a request for a court to examine whether someone is being lawfully detained — in May 2023, asking a judge to consider new evidence of their father's sexual abuse. The brothers are being held at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. Jesic allowed the brothers' two aunts to take the stand on Monday after their attorney argued that it was difficult for them to travel for the hearing. Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez's sister who turns 93 on Tuesday, and Teresita Baralt, Jose's older sister who is 85, asked for their release, saying 35 years was a long time for the brothers after suffering abuse as children. Andersen VanderMolen had said last month that she had hoped her nephews would be released and home for her birthday or the holidays. Baralt noted that she was close to Jose and lived for years across the street from him and Kitty, who Baralt described as her best friend. 'We miss those who are gone tremendously,' Baralt testified through tears. 'But we miss the kids too.' Both aunts said they had kept in contact with the brothers, though they had not seen them in person for years. The hearing lasted less than an hour. Mark Geragos, an attorney for the brothers, started to address the media outside the courthouse but he cut it short and walked off as journalists crowded him. The recent releases of the Netflix drama ' Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ' and the documentary 'The Menendez Brothers' in 2024 brought renewed attention to their plight. Rose Castillo, a 28-year-old true crime enthusiast, arrived from Miami five minutes too late to enter the lottery and win one of the few seats offered to the public to attend the hearing, but glimpsed the brothers' family members before they entered the courthouse. 'That was crazy,' Castillo said. A courthouse bailiff told people to stop taking pictures of the relatives as they waited in the hallway before the hearing began. Prosecutors recommended resentencing for the brothers last month, saying they have worked on redemption and rehabilitation and demonstrated good behavior inside prison. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón asked for new sentences that could make them immediately eligible for parole. The brothers' extended family has said they deserve to be free after decades behind bars. Several family members have said that in today's world — which is more aware of the impact of sexual abuse — the brothers would not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life. Not all Menendez family members support resentencing. Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief asking the court to keep the brothers' original punishment. 'They shot their mother, Kitty, reloading to ensure her death,' Andersen's attorneys said in a statement last month. 'The evidence remains overwhelmingly clear: the jury's verdict was just, and the punishment fits the heinous crime.' The new evidence includes a letter Erik Menendez wrote in 1988 to his cousin, Andy Cano, describing the sexual abuse he had endured from his father. The brothers asked their lawyers about it after it was mentioned in a 2015 Barbara Walters television special. The lawyers hadn't known of the letter and realized it had not been introduced at their trials, making it effectively new evidence that they say corroborates allegations that Erik was sexually abused by his father. More new evidence emerged when Roy Rossello, a former member of the Latin pop group Menudo, recently came forward saying he had been drugged and raped by Jose Menendez when he was a teen in the 1980s. Menudo was signed under RCA Records, where Jose Menendez was chief operating officer. Rossello spoke about his abuse in the Peacock docuseries 'Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,' and provided a signed declaration to the brothers' lawyers. Had these two pieces of evidence been available during the brothers' trial, prosecutors would not have been able to argue that there was no corroboration of sexual abuse, the petition states. While clemency might be another pathway to freedom for the brothers, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that he won't decide until incoming Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who takes office on Dec. 2, reviews the case. Hochman, a Republican-turned-independent who unseated the progressive Gascón, said Jesic's decision to delay the hearing will give him enough time to 'review the extensive prison records, transcripts of two lengthy trials and voluminous exhibits, as well as consult with prosecutors, law enforcement, defense counsel and victim family members.' ___ This story was first published on Nov. 25, 2024. It was updated on May. 15, 2025 to correct Andy Cano's relationship with the Menendez brothers. He is their cousin, not uncle.
CTV News
13-05-2025
- CTV News
L.A. judge to decide whether the Menendez brothers should be freed
This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez. (California Dept. of Corrections via AP, File) After months of delays, a hearing starts Tuesday to decide whether Erik and Lyle Menendez should get a chance at freedom after serving nearly 30 years in prison for the double murder of their parents. A Los Angeles judge will preside over the resentencing hearing that is expected to last two days. If he shortens their sentences, the brothers would still need approval from the state's parole board to get out of prison. They could then potentially go free on time served. They were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. The brothers were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance. Due to wildfires in the LA area, and disputes between LA prosecutors and defense attorneys, the hearings were delayed for months. The case has captured the public's attention for decades — and last year, the Netflix drama ' Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ' and documentary 'The Menendez Brothers' brought new attention to the case. Supporters of the brothers have flown in from across the country to attend rallies and hearings in the past few months. Here's what to expect this week: Judge to rule on a lesser sentence The resentencing hearing will center on whether the brothers have been rehabilitated in prison and deserve a lesser sentence of 50 years to life. That would make them eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26. Their defense attorney, Mark Geragos, said in April he may ask the judge to reduce their charges to manslaughter, potentially allowing them to be immediately released. Geragos said last Friday that he plans to call at least seven family members to testify at the hearings. As in previous proceedings, the brothers will appear virtually. It was unclear if they will testify. Los Angeles County prosecutors will be arguing against the resentencing. They say the brothers have not taken complete responsibility for the crime. Prosecutors will likely reference the preliminary findings from a forensic psychologist who looked at whether the brothers pose a risk to society if released, an assessment ordered by the state parole board. The admissibility of the results in court have been a point of contention for the two sides, as they have not been made public, but the judge said last Friday that some parts can be included. Former district attorney and family support resentencing The previous LA County District Attorney George Gascón had opened the door to possible freedom for the brothers last fall by asking a judge to reduce their sentences. His office said the case would've been handled differently today due to modern understandings of sexual abuse and trauma, and the brothers' rehabilitation over three decades in prison. A resentencing petition laid out by Gascón focuses on the brothers' accomplishments and rehabilitation. The brothers' attorneys say their clients have worked hard to better themselves and give back to the prison community. The extended Menendez family, with the exception of an uncle who died in March, has said they fully forgive the brothers for what they did and want them to be freed. Since their conviction, the brothers have gotten an education, participated in self-help classes and started various support groups for their fellow inmates. The new L.A. prosecutor changed course The current district attorney Nathan Hochman reversed course from Gascón and opposed the brothers' resentencing. Hochman's office has said it does not believe that the brothers were sexually abused by their father. Prosecutors also say the brothers have not admitted to lying during their trial. Recently, they cited the forensic psychologist's analysis that said the brothers had recently broken prison rules by smuggling cellphones inside, which Hochman argued demonstrated an inability to regulate their own behavior. It came to the conclusion that they were 'moderately more likely' than others to engage in violence in the community, Hochman said. With Hochman in charge, prosecutors attempted twice to withdraw their office's resentencing petition. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic ruled both times that the resentencing hearings could continue despite their opposition. The judge could decide on the resentencing from the bench during the hearing or issue a written ruling later. Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press
