Ariel Castro Cleveland Ohio Kidnapper Will Plead Not Guilty in Abduction and Rape of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, Lawyers Say He's Not A Monster [VIDEO]
Ariel Castro, the suspected Ohio kidnapper, will plead not guilty to the charges abduction and rape that were brought against him.
Craig Weintraub and Jaye Schlachet, lawyers for Castro, lashed out at the media for their portrayal of Castro as a "monster". Castro became a household name on May 6 when Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus were found in Castro's home. The three women had been missing for more than a decade. They told authorities that Castro kidnapped, raped and beat them over the years. The women were also allegedly imprisoned with chains. DNA tests confirmed that Castro was the father of a child Berry fathered while she was in captivity.
"The initial portrayal of him is one of a quote 'monster,' and that is not the impression that I got," one of his two attorneys," Weintraub said.
Schlachet added that the media was not being considerate of Castro as a man. He felt that that the media cared more about demonizing Castro and not interested in learning the truth. Schlachet argued that doing so was a disservice to the women.
"He is a human being, but what is offensive is that the women and the media want to demonize this man before they know the whole story, and I think it's unfair and not equitable," Schlachet said.
Weintraub said that he was aware of how Castro came into contact with the women but he would not provide more details. In a separate interview with TV station WKYC Tuesday, they were concerned that Castro would not be given a fair trial in Cleveland. They planned to mount the best defense they could and did not fear repercussions for doing so.
"We're here to make sure that people can exercise their constitutional rights to have an attorney and a fair trial," Weintraub said.
Schlachet spoke of Castro being a loving father to the child he had with Berry. The lawyers said that his thoughts were with the 6 year old while he is locked up in the Cuyahoga County jail cell in isolation. He is under a suicide watch.
"If people find that to be a disconnect from what he's alleged to have done, then the people will just have to deal with it," Schlachet said. "We just know how he feels about his little girl."
