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| Cleveland kidnap accused Castro to plead innocent - lawyers | Cleveland kidnap accused Castro to plead innocent - lawyers |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US man accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in his house in Ohio will plead not guilty to all charges, his lawyers say. | The US man accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in his house in Ohio will plead not guilty to all charges, his lawyers say. |
| Ariel Castro, aged 52, is charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. | Ariel Castro, aged 52, is charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. |
| The women were abducted at different times and held in Mr Castro's house in Cleveland. One of them escaped earlier this month and raised the alarm. | The women were abducted at different times and held in Mr Castro's house in Cleveland. One of them escaped earlier this month and raised the alarm. |
| "He's not a monster and he shouldn't be demonised," said lawyer Jaye Schlachet. | "He's not a monster and he shouldn't be demonised," said lawyer Jaye Schlachet. |
| Speaking to the AFP news agency, he added that details of Mr Castro's innocence "will be disclosed as the case progresses". | Speaking to the AFP news agency, he added that details of Mr Castro's innocence "will be disclosed as the case progresses". |
| Craig Weintraub, another defence lawyer, told WKYC-TV that his client "loves dearly'' the child he fathered with 27-year-old Amanda Berry - one of the three alleged kidnap victims. | Craig Weintraub, another defence lawyer, told WKYC-TV that his client "loves dearly'' the child he fathered with 27-year-old Amanda Berry - one of the three alleged kidnap victims. |
| The other women freed from Mr Castro's house were Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32. | The other women freed from Mr Castro's house were Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32. |
| Prosecutors in Ohio have said they also plan to seek aggravated murder charges that could carry the death penalty. | Prosecutors in Ohio have said they also plan to seek aggravated murder charges that could carry the death penalty. |
| The charges relate to alleged forced miscarriages suffered by one victim. | The charges relate to alleged forced miscarriages suffered by one victim. |
| 'Deliberate, depraved' | |
| Mr Castro made his first court appearance in Cleveland on 9 May without entering a plea. | |
| County prosecutor Brian Murphy told that hearing: "The charges against Mr Castro are based on premeditated, deliberate, depraved decisions to snatch three young ladies from Cleveland West Side streets to be used in whatever self-gratifying, self-serving way he saw fit." | |
| He is charged with four counts of kidnapping, covering the three initial abduction victims and Jocelyn, Ms Berry's six-year-old daughter, who was apparently conceived and born in captivity. | |
| The former school bus driver also faces three counts of rape, one against each woman. | |
| Bail was set at $8m (£5.1m), meaning in effect that he has remained in custody ever since. | |
| Ms Berry, whose disappearance in 2003 the day before her 17th birthday was widely publicised in the local media, escaped from Mr Castro's house by kicking the door and screaming for help, while her alleged captor was out. | |
| The other women freed soon afterwards. They were all abducted after accepting rides from Mr Castro, according to a police report leaked to the media. |