Kim Kardashian has written an open letter in support of Erik and Lyle Menendez insisting the brothers "are not monsters". The pair are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole after they were convicted of killing their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez with shotguns at their family home in Beverly Hills in 1989 - but Kim has now insisted the siblings were not treated fairly because of the amount of media coverage of the first trial - which ended in a mistrial - and rulings by the judge which excluded evidence of claims they were sexually abused by their dad from their second trial in 1996. In an open letter published online, Kim wrote: "The first trial was televised for all to see, and Erik and Lyle’s case became entertainment for the nation, their suffering and stories of abuse ridiculed in skits on 'Saturday Night Live'.
"The media turned the brothers into monsters and sensationalised eye candy — two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed. There was no room for empathy, let alone sympathy. "Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial against this backdrop.
Back then, there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly for boys. "There were virtually no systems in place to support survivors, and public awareness of the trauma of male sexual abuse was minimal, often clouded by preconceived judgments and homophobia. Can anyone honestly deny that the justice system would have treated the Menendez sisters.