The Three Missing Ohio Women are Alive

Early this month, three unrelated women who had been missing for a decade had been found in the house of Ariel Castro in Seymour Avenue, Cleveland. The women are Amanda Berry (27), Gina DeJesus (23), and Michelle Knight (32) who were kidnapped in 2003, 2004, and 2002, respectively. The police also found a six-year-old girl who is the daughter of Berry and believed to be fathered by the suspect. 

While Castro was not home, Berry managed to escape and asked for help behind the locked front door. Charles Ramsey came from McDonald's when he heard someone screaming for help. He ran to Castro's house and with the help of Angel Cordero (another neighbor), he kicked the door open. Ramsey and Berry immediately called 911. When the police arrived, they found the two other victims tied with chains and ropes and a little girl.

Castro is charged with kidnapping and rape. He is said to have locked the women in the basement but have eventually allowed them to live on the second floor of his home. Based on the interview, Castro had physically abused them, which led Knight having several miscarriages over the years. He would also celebrate their abduction date every year. What a cruel thing to do. I think he was celebrating his own triumph for not being caught with his crimes.

Inasmuch as this news is disturbing, I'm glad that these women had finally gotten away from Castro's clutches. Sadly, this type of news is becoming more common that we no longer find it shocking. When I first heard about this, I immediately thought of Jaycee Dugard, the woman who had been held captive for 18 years and bore three children with her kidnapper. Even before further details has been released, I think the whole world must be thinking the same thing as I did - this six-year-old little girl is the daughter of Castro.

What is still unclear is whether or not the authorities are to be blamed for not finding these women sooner. Some neighbors said that they have called the police after seeing suspicious activities in Castro's property. The authorities, however, denied receiving these calls. Whichever the truth is, the community should start taking more precautions to avoid further crimes such as this one.

No one knows for certain what took place inside Castro's house during the last decade. The only thing we're sure of is that these women have been through a lot. They had spent so many years in captivity. Now that they're free, I wish them nothing but a life filled with love and happiness.