Cleveland authorities have announced that charges will be focused against Ariel Castro, but not his brothers Pedro and Onil, in the kidnapping and forced captivity case of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.
Cleveland authorities have announced that charges will be focused against Ariel Castro, but not his brothers Pedro and Onil, in the kidnapping and forced captivity case of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.
Castro is being charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. Allegations had recently surfaced that the three women he is thought to have kidnapped had been sexually abused and likely impregnated during their captivity, which is thought to have included physical restraints.
Ariel Castro’s two brothers, Pedro and Onil, are still in police custody but were not charged. According to Cleveland prosecutor Victor Perez there was no evidence they were involved in the kidnapping.
Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask has announced that no human remains had been found at the site of Castro’s home. Authorities had been drawn to disturbed soil in the yard, and there had been media inquiries as to whether additional disappearances might be linked to the suspect. Another missing teen, 14-year-old Ashley Summers, disappeared in 2007 near the Castro residence.
Flask previously disclosed to WKYC-TV that the three women were forced to have sex with their captors, and that when they became pregnant they were beaten and either miscarried or gave birth to children that did not survive. One of the three victims reportedly suffered up to three miscarriages due to malnourishment, according to local news channel WEWS-TV.
Information regarding any additional forced pregnancies were not confirmed by Cleveland authorities during a Wednesday press briefing.
Authorities announced that more than 200 pieces of evidence were taken from Castro’s Cleveland residence. Police would not disclose a detailed explanation of how Amanda Berry came to escape on Monday, though during the Wednesday press conference they lauded Berry as a “hero” who was critical to the discovery of her two companions.
When asked about the conditions in which the three women were kept, law enforcement would only allow that Castro's house was in"disarray," without disclosing more information.
The identity of the 6-year-old child rescued along with Amanda Berry was not confirmed by authorities, though she is widely suspected of being her daughter. Police have indicated that a paternity test will be administered to determine whether Ariel Castro is the girl's father.
The three women were held captive in the west side residential neighborhood for about a decade by the suspect - Knight went missing in 2002, Berry disappeared in 2003 at age 16, and Gina DeJesus went missing a year later at age 14.
The circumstances of Knight’s disappearance is less clear than her two companions. According to reporting via Cleveland.com, the victim’s family believed that she had possibly left on her own, angry that her son was removed from her custody.
(Personal Sharing)
No comments:
Post a Comment