Anthony Castro, the son of the Cleveland man Ariel, who admitted to kidnapping, raping and enslaving three young women for about a decade said that his father should serve a life sentence, as reported by the Associated Press. On NBC's "Today" show on Monday, Anthony Castro added that he will not visit his fathe while serving time in prison.
Ariel Castro is expected to be sentenced on Thursday to a life prison plus 1,000 years after pleading guilty last week to 937 counts. The guilty plea spared him from the death penalty, as well as avoiding a long drawn out trial that could have been added aggravation for the victims and their families.
"I think it's the best possible sentence," Castro's son said. "I think if he really can't control his impulses and he really doesn't have any value for human life the way this case has shown, then behind bars is where he belongs for the rest of his life."
Anthony Castro described his father as a violent man, but was "shocked" when learning of the crimes he committed toward his three women he kidnapped, raped and enslaved. "I was shocked because of the magnitude of such a crime," Anthony Castro said. "I don't think I could ever imagine anyone doing that that, let alone to find out it was my own flesh and blood, my father."
The three women -Amanda Berry, Gina Dejesus and Michelle Knight disappeared between 2002 and 2004. Iin May, they escaped when Berry kicked out part of a door and called to neighbors for help.
Also, on Saturday evening, the 27-year-old Berry, made her first public appearance when she was invited on stage by rapper Nelly during an outdoor concert in Cleveland.
DeJesus also spoke to a Cleveland television station briefly on Sunday and thanked volunteers who built a 6-foot privacy fence around her house.
