Gascón Bars Deputies From Child Rapist’s Parole Hearing

Honoring his promise to reform the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office to advance the cause of social justice, a directive from progressive LA District Attorney George Gascón will prohibit the prosecutors under his command from attending the parole hearing of a pedophile who raped and sexually assaulted two children. Bill Melugin of Fox 11 Los Angeles reports that Ruben Beltran, who is serving a 15-to-life sentence for the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother has become eligible for parole. Normally, the deputy who prosecuted the case attends the parole hearing to remind the parole board of the circumstances of the crime and the threat to public safety posed by releasing the criminal.  Beltran, a friend of the victims’ divorced mother, moved into their home in order to perform repairs and abused her trust to prey upon the children. Under Gascón’s directive, the mother and her children are the only people authorized to argue against Beltran’s release. The mother told reporters, “We’re just a family, now we have to take on the role of law enforcement … rather than the people who should be defending the community.” Her letter to Gascón pleading with him to reconsider was not answered.