The publication of Anagrama's book on Breton confessing to the murder of his children, pending a judge's decision.

BarcelonaThe publishing house Anagrama has suspended the publication of the book Hate, where Luisgé Martín compiles the letters he exchanged with José Bretón, who confesses to the murder of his two children, for which he is serving a sentence. These facts he had not acknowledged until now. Sources from the publishing house explain to ARA that it has suspended distribution, scheduled for March 26, pending its lawyers' analysis. According to judicial sources cited by Efe and Europa Press, Anagrama made the decision after receiving a fax from the children's mother, Ruth Ortiz, who has requested protection from the Córdoba Prosecutor's Office to halt distribution of the book, as reported by Cadena SER.and The Country. However, the publisher has also received a warning from the Barcelona Juvenile Prosecutor's Office.

Sources from the Prosecutor's Office have explained to ARA that the Public Prosecutor's Office has sent a letter to the publisher warning them that it is considering taking legal action for a possible violation of the children's right to honor, privacy, and image, as alleged by the mother. In fact, in the same letter, the Prosecutor's Office warns Anagrama that it has not followed the required procedure whenever a book is published—which would also apply in the case of an audiovisual production—where the identity of a minor is disclosed: the consent of both parents is required and, in case of doubt, the approval of the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, add sources from the Public Prosecutor's Office. However, the publisher has not followed this procedure.

The Prosecutor's Office has requested that a judge order a precautionary suspension of the book's publication until a judicial proceeding clarifies whether it may violate children's rights. This request was made this Thursday, after Anagrama had already announced that it was halting distribution due to doubts about its legality. However, if the court accepts the precautionary measure requested by the Prosecutor's Office, it would mean suspending publication regardless of the publisher's decision, and given the judicial timescale, it would likely extend beyond the book's scheduled release date (next Wednesday).

Since the Prosecutor's Office filed its request this Thursday, at this point it has not yet been assigned to any court, and therefore, it is unknown which judge will be in charge of resolving it. Once the case is distributed among the Barcelona courts, the response to the precautionary measure will arrive in the coming days.

A revenge crime against the couple

Bretón murdered his children, Ruth and José, ages 6 and 2, on October 8, 2011, on a farm in Las Quemadillas, Córdoba. The man left after the children's mother informed him of her intention to separate. According to the jury, Bretón—a person they described as resentful and prone to frustration—"conceived the idea" of killing the children "as revenge against the woman." For the two crimes He 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.

Hate, It includes the letters between Martín and Bretón, as well as a final interview in prison where he is serving a sentence. But now, sources from Anagrama, citing Efe, indicate that the publisher has suspended the entire publication process while its legal departments analyze the situation. The book includes Bretón's confession, in which he explains that he killed the children with pills dissolved in water and sugar, and asserts that there was no "suffering."