Amanda Berry, Gina deJesus & Michelle Knight - General discussion #4

[mothert]

I think that there should be no information on her son released. He is a minor and he should be protected as much as possible. Omo

I was just hoping that they were reunited.his needs should be considered first, but I imagine it would be a good thing for him to know that his mother did not voluntarily abandon him.
Hopefully he was placed in a loving home

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/08/michelle-knight-mother-barbara-knight-report_n_3237901.html

"However, at the age of 17, Michelle was assaulted at school, and her reports were not taken seriously. The teen became pregnant shortly thereafter and dropped out of school, though she planned to eventually return. The woman lost custody of her son, her mother said, after getting into a relationship with an abusive man who injured the boy."


She lost custody of the child before she was abducted by this monster.

 

[onebyone]

As much of a monster as I knew he was, he managed to make himself out as more of a monster than I had even imagined with his statement. His lawyers should've knocked him out or something before letting him give that. My goodness, what a horrible person. I was fighting back the urge to beat him and I was just watching it on tv. Horrible. Foul. Monster. Go to jail and never come out until you are dead.

Way to go Michelle, for giving your statement. That was so brave.

 

[mysteriew]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/08/michelle-knight-mother-barbara-knight-report_n_3237901.html

"However, at the age of 17, Michelle was assaulted at school, and her reports were not taken seriously. The teen became pregnant shortly thereafter and dropped out of school, though she planned to eventually return. The woman lost custody of her son, her mother said, after getting into a relationship with an abusive man who injured the boy."


She lost custody of the child before she was abducted by this monster.

IIRC they were due for a final hearing on the matter the day after Michelle was kidnapped. Since she didn't show for the hearing, I would guess the order was made final.

Also IIRC it was the mother's boyfriend who abused the child. Michelle was living there at the time.

 

[mysteriew]

As much of a monster as I knew he was, he managed to make himself out as more of a monster than I had even imagined with his statement. His lawyers should've knocked him out or something before letting him give that. My goodness, what a horrible person. I was fighting back the urge to beat him and I was just watching it on tv. Horrible. Foul. Monster. Go to jail and never come out until you are dead.

Way to go Michelle, for giving your statement. That was so brave.

I know. I didn't think it could get any worse. Then he opened his mouth and it did.

Can you imagine being forced to live with that?

 

[mothert]

IIRC they were due for a final hearing on the matter the day after Michelle was kidnapped. Since she didn't show for the hearing, I would guess the order was made final.

Also IIRC it was the mother's boyfriend who abused the child. Michelle was living there at the time.

I think you are correct, also in the appeal(mother boyfriend) there is a rape charge...but I don't think it was against the son.

I understand completely why she is not contacting family....it sounds like this poor woman has lived through hell.

It seems as she is getting lots of good support, I hope that she can heal and surrounds herself with protective people.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

IIRC they were due for a final hearing on the matter the day after Michelle was kidnapped. Since she didn't show for the hearing, I would guess the order was made final.

Also IIRC it was the mother's boyfriend who abused the child. Michelle was living there at the time.

That is so sad. I feel for her and the child. I can only hope she will have another chance to get him back. But in my head I wonder if that is best for her at this point. This child is from a horrible event in her life, She just suffered another horrific event. One that is just not close to anything we can imagine. I can only hope that she is getting great counseling and will have support if she does regain custody.

I don't know how any of these girls are even standing. To make it through this horror and then have to see that monster rambling in court. I would have walked out.

I hope that is the last we have heard of him.

 

[bettybaby00]

Very happy for these girls that there was such a quick resolution to this despicable atrocity. He should never have been allowed to blather on and on like that! If he thought he could garner any sort of sympathy, he's sorely mistaken, and delusional.

I wish HLN would stop replaying this pigs outrageous statement.

I wish Gina,Michelle, and Amanda and their families all the best. God bless!

 

[mothert]

That is so sad. I feel for her and the child. I can only hope she will have another chance to get him back. But in my head I wonder if that is best for her at this point. This child is from a horrible event in her life, She just suffered another horrific event. One that is just not close to anything we can imagine. I can only hope that she is getting great counseling and will have support if she does regain custody.

I don't know how any of these girls are even standing. To make it through this horror and then have to see that monster rambling in court. I would have walked out.

I hope that is the last we have heard of him.

I don't know if it would be the best thing to get custody, but at least visitation. We fostered a young girl, he mother abandoned her...there was other abuse, but the fact she just left her it was devastating to her.
Her son may be in a wonderful setting but it is hard to understand how the person that should love you the most, could just walk away.

 

[MidwestMama]

WOW! Way to go Michelle!
She showed today that she is choosing to be a survivor and not a victim!
So proud of her!

Won't even talk about the other who was in the courtroom today.

Don't know if this was posted yet, but the girls kept diaries! Very smart!
http://www.thv11.com/news/article/274125/2/Prosecutor-Kidnapped-Ohio-women-kept-diaries

 

[KaaBoom]

Im glad she did. She stood up and did what she needed to do and he had to listen to it. She deserved her say. I can not fathom what she has been through and hope and pray she can live a life forgetting the monster, that is no longer a threat.

It was a nice speech, but it obviously had zero effect on Castro. He was probably actually flattered that she even attended his sentencing. She would have been better off just reading it to the news media, outside the court.

It also had no effect on his sentence. Which had already been agreed to by all parties, would be 1000 years.

 

[mothert]

It was a nice speech, but it obviously had zero effect on Castro. He was probably actually flattered that she even attended his sentencing. She would have been better off just reading it to the news media, outside the court.

It also had no effect on his sentence. Which had already been agreed to by all parties, would be 1000 years.

I don't think it was about him or the sentencing, I think it was important to her to be able to stand up to him, that she now has control of her own life.

 

[tiredblondy]

Am I the only one who thinks Castro thinks he's going to win an appeal? I think HE thinks it's not over yet and he is going to win something.
I can't wait till he faces reality if he ever does. I suspect he will face fear and consequences in prison but it won't be his fault, he thinks its theirs.

 

[tiredblondy]

I don't think it was about him or the sentencing, I think it was important to her to be able to stand up to him, that she now has control of her own life.

I agree.

 

[Minette]

It was a nice speech, but it obviously had zero effect on Castro. He was probably actually flattered that she even attended his sentencing. She would have been better off just reading it to the news media, outside the court.

It also had no effect on his sentence. Which had already been agreed to by all parties, would be 1000 years.

But the speech was not about Castro (not in the most elemental sense.) It was about Michele, and her facing her Monster. She needed to see him and verbally slay him in a way I think maybe the other girls didn't.

I do understand what you are saying, and I cringed all over the place at Jerry Sandusky's mooning over the witnesses in his trial. But again, THEY needed to slay the dragon in their minds, the actual dragon was nothing but a pitiful shadow of a dragon at that point. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's how I see it.

 

[MidwestMama]

FBI found a letter Castro wrote to "explain":

"A letter written by Castro was found in the home days after his arrest and shown in court. It was titled "Confession and Details." He also wrote "I am a sexual predator."

also, he blames even the FBI:
"He pointed out that the FBI was once close to him when agents talked with his daughter, who was walking home with DeJesus on the day she disappeared.

"The FBI let these girls down when they questioned my daughter," he said. "They failed to question me."

Apparently, everyone - EXCEPT the sick who kidnapped these women and held them hostage for ten years - is responsible! It is a very good thing he will never be free again. No remorse or taking responsibility for his actions means he would certainly do it again!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/ariel-castro-note_n_3689792.html?ir=Crime

 

[nikb]

I suppose the judge has to cover this stuff, but it seems like a waste of time to be going over his responsibilities to report as a sex offender. It's not like he will ever be out of prison.

I deeply and sincerely hope you're right.

There's something way messed up about a prison system that has to sentence someone to "life plus 1,000 years" when the guy's life expectancy is what, 100 years MAX?

Life should mean LIFE IMO. And I hope this guy never sees freedom again, ever.

ETA: I just finally caught up and WOW... so proud of the girls, all of them! Michelle especially.

 

[mothert]

Am I the only one who thinks Castro thinks he's going to win an appeal? I think HE thinks it's not over yet and he is going to win something.
I can't wait till he faces reality if he ever does. I suspect he will face fear and consequences in prison but it won't be his fault, he thinks its theirs.

I think he was already setting up the "addicted to *advertiser censored*" defense

 

[Minette]

There is a really good YA book called "A Monster Calls," by Patrick Ness that explains the need to face your own monsters.

 

[gitana1]

Thats what I would expect him to do. I really wish she hadn't testified. There was really nothing to be gained. He is going to get his life plus 1000 years anyway. Just ignore the SOB, and don't give him the satisfaction of seeing his victims again.

He had to sit and listen to his victim call him a hypocrite and a liar, without being able to tell her to shut her mouth. He had to listen to her triumph and had to hear her discuss his awful life in prison. That's one thing gained.

Another thing gained is that this was one of the most powerful statements of survival and resiliency I have heard. And hearing it may give hope and motivation to others out there who are suffering.

Finally, she gained her voice back with that statement. She got to have her say, without interruption, in the presence of not only the maggot who kept her voiceless, but also the entire community.

They might have been able to do a better job, if her family was keeping in contact with them, rather then cashing her SSI checks.

That's a pretty harsh accusation since we do not yet know who was cashing her checks.

As much of a monster as I knew he was, he managed to make himself out as more of a monster than I had even imagined with his statement. His lawyers should've knocked him out or something before letting him give that. My goodness, what a horrible person. I was fighting back the urge to beat him and I was just watching it on tv. Horrible. Foul. Monster. Go to jail and never come out until you are dead.

Way to go Michelle, for giving your statement. That was so brave.

His lawyers grossed me out. I felt they huddled almost protectively around him during sentencing. I could never represent such scum.

I know. I didn't think it could get any worse. Then he opened his mouth and it did.

Can you imagine being forced to live with that?

Although I did hear a snippet or two on the radio (before I turned it off), I refused to listen to his comments but I did watch the video with the sound off (CNN) because I wanted to see the cop who sat behind him with a disgusted look as some posted (I never saw that though!). Watching Castro's facial expressions without the sound was interesting. He looked vicious and evil and filled with seething, rage. I am assume he kept the same even tone during his statement as in the snippet I heard? Well it didn;t match his intensely evil and furious jmicro-exptr4essions. I thought of what they had to see for all those years.