Life After Death: Healing for the Survivor's of Ariel Castro's Crimes

On May 6, 2013, people all over the world were captivated by the rescue of three young women held in captivity for over ten years in Cleveland, Ohio.  The news barely took a break from outlining the stories of Amanda Berry, Georgina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight, their harrowing escape from enslavement, and profiling the man who held them against their will.  Initial reports described Berry kicking through the door to get the attention of a neighbor and then calling 911, exclaiming to the operator, “I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years, and I’m, I’m here, I’m free now.”[1]  The man responsible for the women’s captivity, Ariel Castro, had lived in the neighborhood for twenty years.  Over the timespan the women had been missing the police visited the home on three separate instances.  Neighbors called police and reported sightings of a naked woman chained and crawling around in the yard.  They called again to report noise that sounded like pounding coming from the inside of the home in addition to the windows being covered.  When the police received no response to knocks on each visit, they moved on without further investigation.[2]

Castro kidnapped Berry, DeJesus, and Knight after offering each of them a ride home.  Although the women have remained silent for the most part since their escape, it was confirmed that Berry had a young child fathered by Castro.  Castro also impregnated Knight five separate times, and on each occasion he beat and starved her so badly she miscarried.[3]  Eventually, he was prosecuted for nine hundred thirty seven criminal counts including rape, kidnapping, and aggravated murder.  He was given a life sentence plus an additional symbolic one thousand year sentence after accepting a plea bargain in lieu of the death penalty.[4]   About one month after his sentencing, Castro was found dead in his prison cell hanging from a bed sheet.  The death was ruled a suicide. People reacted swiftly and strongly to the news of Castro’s death including Castro’s attorney Craig Weintraub.  Weintraub, as well as those within the prison, advocated for an investigation into the conditions of both his former client’s mental state and surroundings inside the prison. [5]

Although it is impossible to predict what the survivors of Castro’s crimes experienced upon hearing the news, his death has certainly not been the end of the transition to freedom for Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight.  Investigators recently speculated that Castro’s death might have resulted due to complications from autoerotic asphyxiation, a self-strangling technique which some claim intensifies masturbation and other sexual acts.  Regardless, the medical examiner in Ohio has kept the official cause of death suicide.  Coroner Jan Gorniak released a statement in response to the possibility of autoerotic asphyxiation stating, “I did the autopsy myself. I saw the ligature. I saw the pictures of the cell… It was a suicide.”[6]   Later on October 17th, top officials in the prison where Ariel Castro died were reassigned.  This included Warden Rhonda Richard as well as Charlie Heiss, deputy warden of operations.[7]   The transfer has not been officially linked to Castro’s death. Yet in addition to the transfers, the corrections officers who were on duty (Caleb Ackley and Ryan Murphy) during the night of his death were suspended with pay for filing false log reports and neglecting duty.[8]

Throughout this ordeal, the survivors of Castro’s crimes have remained out of public eye, save for a short video thanking people for their support and as well as requests for further privacy.[9]  Reports at the end of October show that there was a book deal for both Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus.  Michelle Knight has a scheduled appearance on the Dr. Phil show in early November.[10]

It is impossible to say how many other people might be living under similar circumstances of captivity like Berry, DeJesus, and Knight.  That they were missing for so long without being discovered is tragic.  Yet, this story offers a sliver of hope to those with missing loved ones.  The most recent statistics available about missing children are from over a decade ago, which show that 800,000 children disappear annually in the United States.[11]  It is unclear how many cases of missing children go unreported.  With the lack of information regarding enslavement, the best that can be done is to provide support to survivors.

There are non-profit agencies throughout Ohio and other states that provide resources to survivors of enslavement and other forms of exploitation, but funding is usually very limited, and homeless shelters incur long wait lists while attempting to provide shelter for people hoping to escape slavery.  One helpful resource available to victims is crisis hotlines, often run by shelters or organizations that provide advocacy.  Volunteers within the community staff hotlines which may provide a listening ear to those who are attempting to escape slavery, and at times even aide survivors as well as family members of survivors.

Another resource available to survivors is Victim-Offender Dialogues (VOD).  This process allows for a victim and an offender (who has committed a similar crime to what the survivor experienced) to engage in a guided conversation with the presence of advocates and mandatory before and after counseling sessions.  Court systems have typically utilized Victim-Offender Mediation (VOM) for minor crimes, often times involving juveniles, but the use of VOD is on the rise as a healing process for both victims and offenders.  A study in Ohio showed that participants reported that VOD opened the door for personal growth as well as healing. Almost every participant reported being satisfied with the process and found VOD helpful for the healing process.[12]

Ohio also provides restitution to victims of human trafficking, which families can use for recovery.  However, the funding is limited to fifty thousand dollars per victim.[13]  Fortunately for Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight, the high visibility of their ordeal allowed for the creation of a successful online fund where people could donate and show support.  These funds were one of the reasons why the young women released a video thanking people for their actions and well wishes recently.  Such successful donation campaigns are not the norm for victims.

This case captured the attention of the country and the world for many reasons.  Besides the obvious horror expressed regarding Castro’s treatment of the survivors, one of the more positive aspects has been the increased optimism in the possibility of missing persons being found.  People whose children have been missing for years were given new hope by the fact that Berry, DeJesus, and Knight were able to survive for so long while being held captive.  As the women tell more of their experiences, there is the potential that this information can be used to improve the plight of other children as well as how we as a society respond when these sorts of atrocities occur.  The return of missing persons to their families helps bring new attention to the stark realities of modern day enslavement in the United States.

Although the circumstances leading up to the escape of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight are gut wrenching, the fact that the women were able to, in the words of Michelle Knight, “survive and thrive” is not only reassuring but also telling.  Survivors of enslavement have it within them to live satisfactory and safe lives, but it is up to the community and state to provide the resources for their survival and reintegration.  Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight have shown the world their seemingly limitless strength, and it is important  to witness how the women celebrate their survival.  If communities can use stories of these women to help others survive than perhaps the hope they have generated with their escape will not end with them.

Notes:

^[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/amanda-berry-911-call-transcript_n_3228666.html

^[2] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/ariel-castro-neighbors-police-naked-woman_n_3233340.html

^[3] http://www.ryot.org/report-ariel-castro-repeatedly-beat-starved-michelle-knight-until-she-miscarried-his-children/158145

^[4] http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/01/justice/ohio-castro/

^[5] http://articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/04/nation/la-na-ariel-castro-suicide-20130904

^[6] http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/justice/ohio-ariel-castro-suicide-guards/

^[7] http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/10/17/leaders-reassigned-from-prison-where-castro-died.html

^[8] Ibid.

^[9] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/09/victims-ohio-kidnap-case-speak-out_n_3565442.html

^[10] http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2013/10/amanda_berry_and_gina_dejesus.html

^[11] http://www.missingkids.com/KeyFacts

^[12] http://www.voma.org/docs/connect14.pdf

^[13] http://www.examiner.com/article/money-available-to-ohio-crime-victims-assists-picking-up-the-pieces