Previously Held Captive Women Speak Out In Video, Thanking Supporters For Their Compassion and Privacy
For the first time ever, the three women who were enslaved in a Cleveland home for 10 years before they were found and set free made brief video statements, thanking the public for their support and donations. Donations have reached over $1 million to aid in their ladies’ recovery.
Each woman – Michelle Knight, Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry – offered their own thanks to the public.
Knight, who went missing in August 2002 at the tender age of 12, said the well-wishers love, support and donations have assisted her in building a new life. Knight said she refuses to let hatred consume her. She said she’s been through hell and back but she was strong to walk through hell, smiling and her head held high. Knight said she wouldn’t let the situation define her. Rather, she said, she would define the situation.
DeJesus, along with her parents Nancy Ruiz and Felix DeJesus, thanks everybody for their compassion since she was released in May. She went missing in April 2004 when she was 14 and walking home from middle school.
Berry, who ended up having a child with the suspect Ariel Castro, said staying out of the public eye has helped her to recover. She said she’s getting stronger every day and that the privacy has helped in a tremendous way. Berry said she’s happy to be back with her family and friends. She was 16 when she went missing in April 2003 while returning home from her Burger King job.
Thanks to an attentive neighbor who heard their cries for help, the women were set free from Castro’s home, situated in the west side of Cleveland.
Castro, 53, is a former school bus driver who is indicted on over 300 charges that include kidnapping, rape and aggravated murder. He is accused of forcibly causing one woman to miscarry after he got her pregnant.
An Ohio judge ruled last week that Castro is competent to stand trial. The case could start jury selection next month.
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