The three Cleveland women who were rescued in May this year from the home of Ariel Castro, who began holding the women captive in 2002, have spoken publicly for the first time about their “ordeal”—where Castro imprisoned and abused the women mere miles from their own homes.
The video, posted today, includes warm, heartfelt statements of gratitude from Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight, Gina De Jesus and their families as they thank the wider public for their support and respect for their privacy during the media frenzy surrounding their escape.
Amanda Berry, now 27, who was kidnapped at the age of 16 and instigated the escape by alerting neighbour Charles Ramsey in May, said she wants to “thank everyone who has helped me and my family through this entire ordeal. Everyone who has been there to support us – it’s been a blessing to have such an outpouring of love and kindness.”
Michelle Knight’s fearless, humbling statement shows her exceedingly positive outlook on the situation, by saying: “I may have been through hell and back, but I am strong enough to walk through hell with a smile on my face and with my head held high and with my feet firmly on the ground.” She added, “I will not let the situation define who I am. I will define the situation.”
Ariel Castro, father of the six year old girl Amanda Berry gave birth to during her imprisonment, may be facing the death penalty from his combined charges for kidnapping and raping the three women, as well as for the murder of Knight’s unborn child during captivity, inflicting a miscarriage.
Watch the statements from Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina De Jesus in the video below:
Via ABC.
