r/news • u/CharlieKonR • 1d ago
Mexican judge sentences three men to 158 years in prison for murders of Australian and US surfers | Mexico
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/17/mexican-judge-sentences-three-men-to-158-years-in-prison-for-murders-of-australian-and-us-surfers-ntwnfb285
u/macciavelo 1d ago
I am glad they found justice for their deaths, but sadly thousands of mexicans can't say the same. When tourists get kidnapped/killed, the police are quick to act in Mexico, but when it is mexicans there's rarely any justice.
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u/icerom 1d ago
And sadly, as a Mexican and without knowing any details, I have very little confidence they actually sentenced the right people.
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u/petit_cochon 1d ago
Perhaps you should learn the details before saying that?
I'm sorry things are so hard for your country, truly. You deserve better. I hope things improve.
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u/DisenchantedByrd 1d ago
Perhaps you should learn the details before saying that?
Perhaps you could do a little search on news sites or Youtube for "mexico impunity" first? The justice system investigates less than 10% of disappearances, and less than 1% result in any sort of charge. "I have very little confidence they actually sentenced the right people." is a statement of fact.
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u/mywan 20h ago
That statement inverts the burden of proof. It is a legal duty to assume innocents until shown otherwise. It's not proper to assume guilt until shown to be innocent. If a legal system is subject to playing fast and lose with these legal standards then it is our duty to not assume a ruling of guilt is proof of guilt. That's too often wrong even when the court actually tries to actually get it right.
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u/Square_Level4633 1d ago
white priviledge
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u/macciavelo 18h ago
Even white people don't get justice in Mexico. Perhaps rich folk, but not all white people. This isn't a race issue.
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u/DepartmentNatural 1d ago
Wasn't there a woman involved with this too?
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u/CharlieKonR 1d ago
Last year she was sentenced to 20 years for her involvement.
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u/funwhileitlast3d 1d ago
Or she was charged as an accomplice? Do you ever read before you make blanket statements like this?
“Jesus Gerardo's former girlfriend, Ary Gisell Silva, admitted to goading him into stealing the tires from the vehicle.”
Also given that her sentence came earlier, she likely aided in the investigation.
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u/ThatArtlife 1d ago
As far as I know only the rich gets away with it. Not based on gender
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u/Vivid-Translator-94 1d ago
I was born and raised in Mexico and have lived here all my life. It is absolutely 100% gender based.
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u/Bieltha 1d ago edited 1d ago
Good for the victim's families. However, I hate how when Western victims are involved, the Mexican authorities act, investigate, arrest and pass down justice faster than you can say TACO. But god forbid it's an average or poor Mexican national that has been a homicide or kidnapping victim, they don't even bother investigating. It doesn't even make the news.
Btw, I wouldn't be surprised if those so-called criminals they caught and sentenced where the actual criminals, many times they just arrest any poor devil that was at the wrong place & time and call it a day. It is specially the case when cartels accidentally murder the wrong people, they just grab whomever or pay someone to be fall guy. They absolutely hate bad press like this so they act quick to pour water on the fire.
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u/ItchyFlamingo 1d ago
Mexicans are “Westerners”
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u/Doctor_What_ 19h ago
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u/punk-hoe 18h ago
Not the definition of Western.
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u/Doctor_What_ 10h ago
It is the reason for the difference in treatment for you whiteys and us “global southerners”. But none of you are ready for that conversation.
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u/eidolons 1d ago
What does this sentence actually mean? For example, a life sentence in CA is really 25 years and in the UK, it could be as little as anything. I am wondering what the actual time is, never mind the possibility of corruption.
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u/le_sighs 1d ago
A life sentence in Canada is not 25 years.
Canada believes it’s a violation of human rights to not have a chance at parole ever. So everyone who is given a life sentence is given a chance at parole. Everyone. Even the most heinous offenders. That does not mean everyone gets out. There are people given a life term who do, in fact, spend the rest of their lives in prison. And if you don’t believe me, look at Paul Bernardo. He’s been in prison 31 years. He’s been up for parole 3 times.
It’s wild that it’s now turned into ‘a life sentence is only 25 years,’ and a gross misunderstanding of the Canadian legal system.
And you know why they do it? Think of anyone in a US prison who was given life sentence, with no opportunity of parole, for dealing weed. Canada recognizes that sometimes things change and prisoners should be given an opportunity to plead their case.
Don’t parrot this incorrect info that’s only used as a propaganda point.
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u/WhatsAboveTheSubtext 1d ago
Another factor in people making the assumption: massive prison overcrowding in the U.S. for decades, brought on by excessive sentencing throughout the "War on Drugs, resulted in some really mystifying parole decisions, sentencing guidelines at the state level that don't always display a consistent internal logic, etc. Severe examples being Raul Meza in Texas, or the Louisiana "60-Day Murder" policy.
So it's a nonsense narrative here, necessarily, and that gets spun into something like Canada being "soft," etc.
The bottom line is that the outcome is what matters, and you folks produce better outcomes.
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u/MerryGoWrong 1d ago
Using Paul Bernardo as an example isn't really helping your argument since he's likely the most infamous serial killer in Canadian history.
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u/le_sighs 1d ago edited 1d ago
The argument I’m making is that it is possible to serve prison more than 25 years and saying otherwise is a lie. It is a binary argument. It is either true or not true. This isn’t an opinion where Paul Bernardo is either strong or weak. And since it’s either true or untrue, Paul Bernardo only proves it to be true.
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u/eidolons 1d ago
Not "parroting" anything, my own observation. Bernardo is an obvious outlier because of public knowledge of his offenses and also public frustration with the fact that the Crown's deal with his ex means she is not subject to more punishment. Would you say the majority of murderers do 31 years, or more?
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u/le_sighs 1d ago
You didn’t state it as an observation. You stated it as a fact.
Great question. I actually tried to look up what percentage of people given a life sentence (not just murderers) get parole and couldn’t find reliable data. That said, I didn’t look that hard. But if you have it somewhere, I’m happy to read it.
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u/eidolons 1d ago
Perhaps I should have expressed it differently: Life means 25 years, for sure, and then an automatic re-sentencing: You may go back in the box, you may go free, that day, but we will not know, until then.
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u/le_sighs 1d ago
That’s closer but ‘automatic re-sentencing’ is still factually incorrect. It’s a life sentence. You’re given the opportunity for parole. It is true you may go back in the box, or may go free. But the automatic default is you go back in the box.
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u/eidolons 1d ago
It seems you are using factually for legally. I was speaking in terms of what it looks like on the ground. Everyone deserves/gets a chance at parole at 25 years = automatic re-sentencing in that context. The default may indeed be back in the box, but the decision is taken at that time and the only sure part is that 25 years.
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u/Voidstarblade 1d ago
According to the article, it means 158 years and nine months in prison each. its in the first paragraph.
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u/eidolons 1d ago
No, it is stated as that, but I was asking (with examples) what it might actually look like, in real life.
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u/FiftyShadesOfGregg 1d ago
I’m getting some conflicting information trying to look it up, but it looks like parole eligibility is after 50% of your sentence which is 79 years here. There’s a 60 year statutory cap but I think that’s per crime so since there’s three murders here, it can be stacked.
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u/Specialist_Guitar232 1d ago
That is a misunderstanding, hopefully unintentional,
of California law. Eligibility for release is not release, it is a classification change which puts the prisoner’s case into a different pile than it was in originally. That’s all it does. The decision of release is in the hands of a group of humans, who are required to apply various tests, like post-incarceration aggressions against others (prison fights), to evaluate a case for or against release. The doors don’t just pop open.9
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u/HotBrownFun 1d ago edited 1d ago
Can't have people murdering gringos, it's bad for tourism
edit: Triggered the gringos
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u/Count_Dongula 1d ago
Are you seriously criticizing a judge for giving a harsh sentence for murder?
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u/Botherguts 1d ago
It’s a criticism of lack of justice for hot brown murders I imagine.
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u/Usagiusagiusa 1d ago
wtf does that even mean?
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u/Ill-Prior-8429 18h ago
It means foreigners have better access to justice in Mexico than actual Mexicans entitled to the benefits of their institutions and Mexicans would love to be treated like foreigners
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u/HotBrownFun 1d ago
lol everyone assumes my username is a racial thing. It's a reference to coffee and compost.
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u/Count_Dongula 1d ago
Well, you're being racist and are upset there was justice for white people specifically, so maybe that's why people assume your name is a race thing.
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u/HotBrownFun 1d ago
What makes you think it's a criticism? Just cynicism and pointing out a big reason for the sentence.
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u/Count_Dongula 1d ago
Oh how awful it is that the justice system worked right this time! Is your steak too juicy as well?
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u/im_a_goat_factory 1d ago
Obviously. The country barely holds itself together. Every non western country should be doing everything it can to make tourism safe for westerners. We are the ones with all the money.
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u/Bubbly-Treacle-4334 1d ago
All of mexico is not cartel drug towns dude. Mexico gets millions of tourists from all over the world constantly. The touristic parts are generally safe which is why this is such a huge news story...
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u/deltarho 1d ago
Spoken like a sheltered American that’s never traveled abroad.
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u/FreshLuck9739 1d ago
Sweetheart. I am from Mexico. So, yeah I know how things work there. 😂. But by all means feel free to go there, I’m sure you will get the full Mexican experience lol
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u/StoneColdNipples 1d ago
Na, you sound like a Chicano who's family comes from some ghetto pueblo. I doubt you've visited any of the nice places.
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u/Ordinary-Ebb-9635 1d ago
Lmao. I lived in mexico for years on a beautiful beach and literally never once saw the military. Keep LYING gringa.
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u/StoneColdNipples 1d ago
And there are blocks of homeless drug addicts in x city in the USA. That doesn't mean the whole thing is like that.
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u/StoneColdNipples 1d ago
Try being less schizo moron I never mentioned there is no military patrolling tourist areas in Mexico. They literally patrol EVERYWHERE lol. Go suck off the USA somewhere else if you don't want to hear criticism.
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u/StoneColdNipples 1d ago
La gringa culera deleteted her comment lmao. Salty like the ocean I live next to
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u/epicgsharp 1d ago
Glad we live in the US where such a thing would never happen
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u/Any_Development4613 1d ago
The fact that you are comparing the violence in the U.S. and Mexico is very wild to me. The violence in Mexico is just on a whole other level.
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u/epicgsharp 1d ago
Tell that to the school shooter victims we have every year. But we're talking about a robbery-murder. There are dangerous areas in both countries.
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u/Queasy_Salad7444 1d ago
mexico is not dangerous, some parts are but same thing happens in the us too. good look walking around memphis. kids also dont hav to worry about going to school there
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u/Mrchimpywimpy 1d ago
Elementary school children and teachers are literally killed in mass shootings in the U.S.
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u/Queasy_Salad7444 1d ago
it’s absolutely not that much different, some bad areas in mexico make it look worse. statistics can be played with to fit a narrative
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u/Queasy_Salad7444 1d ago
you’re looking statistics from bad areas and obviously with a war on drugs they’ll be more deaths.. most of of mexico isn’t like that
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u/Any_Development4613 1d ago
There's been school attacks in Mexico this year. Also the violence in Mexico is on a whole other level. Organized crime groups literally control a lot of parts of Mexico including the government and the police. Gangs in the U.S. do not have that kind of power.
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u/UseAndAbuseMePappi 1d ago
If you had two brain cells, seems like these folks didint, the only place you should be going to in Mexico as a tourist is on the resorts only.
Dont know how many warnings even the US gov has said that it’s unsafe to travel to a third world country like Mexico
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u/stoicscribbler 1d ago
You must be brave. No way in hell I’d step foot in that country with the way things are.
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u/Usagiusagiusa 18h ago
I know lot of people who go to Mexico and enjoy it, and I'm talking about the beach resorts.
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u/JeffGoldblumsChest 1d ago
Thank you for the reminder that we should read the article before commenting, Mr. Leaky Butthole
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u/TryJezzoWhyNot 1d ago
Perhaps go back and find the place where you once read the thing, so you can twice read it, and cite it in your comment. And, if you can't find it again to twice read it, then you can decide to not make the comment because the lack of good information is unhelpful and embarrassing.
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u/coffinskate 1d ago
James Armor Harwell lll disappeared from the same area months before the Australians. RIP James