Anagrama and the author defend the "right" to publish the book in which José Bretón confesses to the murder of his children.

BarcelonaAnagrama defends its "right" to publish the book Hate, in which José Bretón confesses to the murder of his two sons. In a statement released this Friday, after the work's release was suspended this week Written by Lusigé Martín, which also prompted warnings from the Prosecutor's Office, the publisher admits the "sensitivity" that the book's content may provoke, but appeals to the constitutional right to "literary creation" and adds: "We reaffirm our commitment to editorial responsibility and freedom of expression, knowing that the two must coexist and must coexist; the complexity that they represent."

Although the publisher assures that it will wait to release the book – which was due to be published on March 26 – until the court rules, it has decided to take a position in the debate. The book's release was halted this Thursday after Anagrama received a burofax from the mother of the murdered minors, Ruth Ortiz, who requested protection from the Córdoba Prosecutor's Office. It also received a warning from the Barcelona Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, which reminded that whenever a book is published that discloses the identity of a minor, the consent of both parents is required or, in case of doubt, the approval of the Public Prosecutor's Office.

In its statement on Friday, Anagrama notes that it is fully aware of "the monstrosity of the crimes committed by José Bretón," but emphasizes that literature has always dealt with crimes that have marked entire societies, and recalls that there are examples such as Emmanuel Carrère or Truman Capote, "writers who have worked." The work of Luisgé Martín, assures the Barcelona publisher, "attempts to elucidate extreme violence, the conditions in which it occurs and the philosophical and ethical implications of cruelty as a drive in humans, exploring how society and individual psychology converge in acts that defy morality."

The literary treatment ofHate, which collects the letters between Martín and Bretón, "distances itself and rejects any intention other than to present the murderer's evil to the reader, without justifying or exonerating the crime but, on the contrary, showing its horror," maintains Anagrama, who therefore defends that "both the author and the publisher have the right to publish."

The author: "Give Bretón a voice"

The book's author, Luisgé Martín, has also commented on the controversy. In a statement, he stated that his goal was always to "explore hatred, the brutality of human nature, and cruelty." Martín maintains that the book is written with "the greatest respect for the victims," and while he admits it may provoke pain, he believes that it actually "exalts Bretón's voice, denies his explanation of the events, and confronts him with his contradictions." He adds: "We must reflect on how a book that few people have read provokes the public hatred it has aroused among those who haven't."

Vicarious violence

Bretón murdered his children, Ruth and José, ages 6 and 2, on October 8, 2011, on a farm in Las Quemadillas, Córdoba. The man did so after the children's mother told him she intended to separate. According to the jury, Bretón—a person described as resentful and prone to frustration—"conceived the idea" of killing the children "as revenge against the woman." For both crimesHe was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but will serve a maximum sentence of 25 years. He is currently being held in the maximum security prison in Herrera de la Mancha, Ciudad Real.