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| This image provided by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's office shows the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center booking photo of Ariel Castro, 52, after he was ordered to be held on $8 million bail Thursday, May 9, 2013, in Cleveland. Castro, a former school bus driver, is accused of imprisoning three young women and beating them repeatedly over a decade in Cleveland. |
CLEVELAND
(AP) -- The three women allegedly imprisoned and sexually abused for
years inside a padlocked Cleveland house asked for privacy Sunday,
saying through an attorney that while they are grateful for overwhelming
support, they also need time to heal.
Amanda
Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight remain in seclusion, releasing
their first statements since they were found May 6 when Berry escaped
and told a 911 dispatcher, "I'm free now."
They thanked law enforcement and said they were grateful for the support of family and the community.
"I
am so happy to be home, and I want to thank everybody for all your
prayers," DeJesus said in a statement read by an attorney. "I just want
time now to be with my family."
The women, now in their 20s and 30s, vanished separately between 2002 and 2004. At the time, they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.
Investigators
say they spent the last nine years or more inside the home of Ariel
Castro where they were repeatedly raped and only allowed outside a
handful of times. Castro, 52, is being held on $8 million bond.
The
former school bus driver was charged with four counts of kidnapping and
three counts of rape.
Prosecutors said last
week they may seek aggravated murder charges - punishable by death - for
allegedly impregnating one of his captives at least five times and
forcing her miscarry by starving her and punching her in the belly.
The
allegations were contained in a police report that also said Berry was
forced to give birth in a plastic kiddie pool inside the home. A DNA
test confirmed that Castro fathered the 6-year-old girl, who escaped the
house with Berry.
After nearly a decade of being away, the three women need time to reconnect with their families, said attorney Jim Wooley.
Knight,
who was the first to disappear and the last of the three released from
the hospital, thanked everyone for their support and good wishes in her
statement.
"I am healthy, happy and safe and will reach out to family, friends and supporters in good time."
Berry added: "Thank you so much for everything you're doing and continue to do. I am so happy to be home with my family."
The
attorney said none of the women will do any media interviews until the
criminal case against Castro is over. He also asked that they be given
privacy.
"Give them the time, the space, and the privacy so that they can continue to get stronger," Wooley said.
The
Associated Press does not usually identify people who say they are
victims of sexual assault, but the women's names were widely circulated
by their families, friends and law enforcement authorities for years
during their disappearances and after they were found.
Donations
are pouring into funds set up for the women. City Councilman Brian
Cummins said $50,000 has been raised with the goal of creating a trust
fund for each in hopes of making them financially independent.
The
Cleveland Foundation's portion of the Cleveland Courage Fund had raised
$20,000 as of Thursday with contributions from 34 states as well as
Canada, Australia and France. Donations range in size from $3 to $1,000,
according to Susan Christopher, a spokeswoman for the Cleveland
Foundation.
Castro was represented at his
first court appearance Thursday by public defender Kathleen Demetz, who
said she can't speak to his guilt or innocence and advised him not to
give any media interviews that might jeopardize his case.
Castro's
two brothers, who were initially taken into custody but released
Thursday after investigators said there was no evidence against them,
told CNN that they fear people still believe they had something to do
with the three missing women.
Onil and Pedro
Castro said they've been getting death threats even after police decided
to release them. Pedro Castro said he would have turned in his brother
if he had known he was involved in the women's disappearance.
"Brother or no brother," he told CNN.
