Kim Kardashian Has Issued An Impassioned Plea For The Menendez Brothers' Release

Kim Kardashian is requesting the release of the Menendez brothers.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted and are currently serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Mary Menendez. While prosecutors claimed they killed their parents for money, the brothers argued self-defense. They testified they had been sexually abused by their father and left unprotected by their mother.

The claims initially ended in a mistrial, but much of the abuse evidence was barred from the second trial, which led to their convictions.

The case has received renewed attention since Ryan Murphy's Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story aired in September.

Just this week, it was announced that the DA is reviewing new evidence in the case, including a letter a brother wrote to a cousin discussing the alleged abuse months before the murders.

Now, Kim Kardashian — who's currently studying law — has penned an essay sharing her "hope" that their sentences are "reconsidered."

"I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters," she wrote for NBC News after visiting them in September. "They are kind, intelligent, and honest men. In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records. They have earned multiple college degrees, worked as caregivers for elderly incarcerated individuals in hospice, and been mentors in college programs — committed to giving back to others."

Kim said, "When I visited the prison three weeks ago, one of the wardens told me he would feel comfortable having them as neighbors." She added that, "Twenty-four family members, including their parents' siblings, have released statements fully supporting Lyle and Erik and have respectfully requested that the justice system free them."

Kim went on to say how it was a different time when the brothers were tried. She noted how they were "ridiculed in skits on Saturday Night Live," turned into "monsters and sensationalized eye candy" by the media, and portrayed as "two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed." "There was no room for empathy, let alone sympathy," she said.

"Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial against this backdrop," Kim continued, noting there were also "limited resources" for male sexual abuse victims and "minimal" public "awareness of the trauma of male sexual abuse."

Kim said the "complex" nature of the case is why she doesn't believe they should have to serve life sentences. "Had this crime been committed and trialed today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different," she added.

Kim also made it clear that she doesn't condone their actions. "The killings are not excusable. I want to make that clear," she stressed. "Nor is their behavior before, during or after the crime. But we should not deny who they are today in their 50s."

"We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved," she concluded.

You can read the full essay here.

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If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453(4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.