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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

'Not about revenge': Parents of Perth brothers killed in Mexico to attend trial

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The parents of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson will attend the Mexico trial of three men charged over the brothers' deaths and the death of their American friend, Carter Rhoad.
  • The parents said they want to hear the truth, represent those who loved the victims and seek justice, not revenge.
  • A prosecutor has requested 210-year prison sentences for each accused man, plus an additional 168 years for Jesús Gerardo, according to the article.

The parents of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson are travelling to Mexico to attend the trial of the men accused of killing their sons and their American friend, Carter Rhoad.

We want to hear the truth. We want to understand what happened. And most importantly, we want to be their voices, because they can no longer speak for themselves.

· Debra and Martin RobinsonThe parents explained why they planned to attend the trial.

The brothers, whose family is from Perth, were killed during a camping and surfing trip in Baja California in April 2024. Three men, identified by their given names as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús, face aggravated-homicide charges over the three deaths.

Debra and Martin Robinson said they were going to Ensenada for the trial because they needed to represent the families, friends and others who loved the three men. “We want to hear the truth. We want to understand what happened. And most importantly, we want to be their voices, because they can no longer speak for themselves,” they wrote. “This is not about revenge. It is about truth, justice and love.”

This is not about revenge. It is about truth, justice and love.

· Debra and Martin RobinsonTheir statement about the purpose of attending the proceedings.

Jake, a 31-year-old doctor from Perth, had travelled to California to meet Callum, 32, who had lived in the United States for 12 years after moving there to play lacrosse. The brothers then travelled south to Mexico. Their parents said the courtroom was one of the last things they could do for their sons and that they would remember them for who they were, not simply how they died.

We will carry their names, their stories and their love in that courtroom. And we will never, ever let them be forgotten.

· Debra and Martin RobinsonThe parents described how they would remember their sons during the trial.

“We will carry their names, their stories and their love in that courtroom. And we will never, ever let them be forgotten,” the parents wrote. Western Australian minister Reece Whitby called the trial every parent's worst nightmare and said attending would be brave but harrowing. A prosecutor has sought 210-year sentences for each accused man, along with an additional 168-year sentence for Jesús Gerardo, who also faces a forced-disappearance charge.

It's very brave of them to be there for the trial, but obviously they need to be.

· Reece WhitbyThe Western Australian minister expressed support for the parents' decision to attend.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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