This week, three young women that were missing for over a decade were discovered alive in a Cleveland home. According to Boston.com the women were held captive for over ten years by a man named Ariel Castro. His two brothers have also been connected with the crime, though they have not been charged because police say that they do not have enough evidence against them.
52-year-old Ariel Castro faces four charges of kidnapping along with multiple charges for rape. The former bus driver owns a run-down home in Cleveland, where the three women were hidden and kept for his own personal uses. One of the women gave birth to a daughter while in captivity. Currently, the police are conducting a paternity test to decide if Ariel Castro is the father of the six-year-old child.
The women finally broke free this past Monday when one of the ladies was able to smash through a screen door with the help of a neighbor and call 911. At a news conference, authorities said investigations have shown that the women were bound with ropes and chains and subjected to sexual and psychological abuse. The women also suffered multiple miscarriages after they were malnourished and unable to carry their unborn children.
Castro allegedly kept the women in the basement of the home for most of their time there. Reports show that Castro attended a vigil for one of the girls that he held captive, and even comforted one of the mothers in a time of grief. He reportedly helped to look for at least one of the women, all the while concealing them within his own home. Two of the young ladies have been released from the hospital and are at home with their families. A third woman is recovering at a local hospital, but was reported to be in good condition.
The suspect in this case has an extensive history of abuse. In 2005, a domestic-abuse filing in Cuyahoga County shows that he was accused of breaking the nose of a sexual partner twice. He was also accused of knocking out her tooth, dislocating both of her shoulders, and threatening to kill her and her daughters multiple times. Another filing shows that the woman asked for a protective order because Castro frequently abducted her daughters and kept them from her.
Police have also located records from 1993 claiming that Castro was arrested on a domestic violence charge and spent three days in jail before he was released. Domestic abuse is a serious crime, though many cases of domestic violence are over exaggerated by angry or bitter exes or feuding partners. Oftentimes a woman will accuse a man of domestic violence and cause him to suffer punishment even if the case is not legitimate.
In Ariel Castro's case, all evidence points to guilt. Still, this individual is entitled to a fair trial. If you have been accused of a serious crime like kidnapping or rape, then you need an attorney on your side. Also, if you are falsely affiliated with a serious criminal case, then you will want a criminal defense attorney there to help you.
For example, Castro's brothers in this case may be arrested and charged with crimes even if they have not committed any offenses. This is because officers may want ot arrest them for their affiliations with Castro. If you are caught up in a serious case like this one, then you will certainly want to get a lawyer involved. Don't allow miss-accusations to give you a poor reputation. A conviction could land you in jail for years or result in a serious felony offense. Talk to a criminal defense lawyer near you today!
