52 year old Ariel Castro is fast becoming known as the Cleveland monster for good reason. He's not exactly the son a mother can be proud of. As the details of his life, and what he did to the three girls he kidnapped a decade ago become better known, his mother has made no secret of her revulsion and her heartbreak over the situation she finds herself in. She must have known something was wrong years ago, but not been able to speak out.. Perhaps she was unwilling, or in denial. Whatever her story is, it hides a great deal of pain. Family secrets and lies are an old and sad story, and the bigger the secret the worse the pain when it is revealed.
Lillian Castro, the monster's mother, is quoted by the BBC as saying: "I have a sick son who has committed something very grave. I'm suffering very much,...May those young ladies forgive me." Not exactly a fabulous Mother's Day for her this year, and knowing maternal guilt as I do, I can imagine she feels plenty bad,though her grief can do nothing to help the " young ladies" she is apologizing to and few in the general public will shed a tear on her behalf. Still, I cannot help thinking about her as Mother's Day approaches. What a bummer.
Then there is the pain of Castro's oldest daughter, the one he had with his common law wife ,Grimilda Figueroa. Grimalda, it seems,left Ariel Castro years ago and died last year after a long illness.She too was beaten, tortured, and subjected ( with her two children) to nightmarish abuse.
The couple's daughter was interviewed by CNN in the wake of her father's arrest. Seems she had some vague idea that all was not right, but never put two and two together. Check out the video below. It just blows my mind that all this information was around and nobody was on this guy's case before now.
This Mothers Day lets give some thought to how abusers like Ariel Castro can get away with their heinous crimes for years, even decades, before anybody blows the whistle on them. Crimes against women are still crimes and they cast a long shadow over generations. If Amanda Berry had not managed to call 911 Ariel Cstro would still be running his House of Horrors.
I wonder if he sent his mother flowers last Mothers Day?
" He's Dead To Me" Says Castro's Daughter
4 comments:
I think we all tolerate this sort of thing more than we realize. Sex crimes happen because they are so easy to get away with. I do feel for Castro's mother. It isn't her fault, and it points up again how differently people respond to abuse. It's not cut and dried at all.
totally agree, Pam. Thanks for taking the time to comment-- much appreciated.
Enough about this monster Castro so near to Mother's Day. The silver lining in this cloud is that the mothers of two of the women he held captive will have a TERRIFIC Mother's Day this year! (If I heard the news report correctly, the mother of the third woman died several years ago without knowing her daughter's fate. So sad...)
Castro's mother is entitled to be in shock. Could you imagine bringing a child into the world, raising them, and suddenly finding out decades later that your child is a sociopathic monster? I hope she has kind people surrounding her right now, because she will need the compassion. The same goes for Ariel Castro's daughter -- she and her mother suffered for years at this man's hands, something no one should have to endure.
Jama is right, though -- the mothers of those freed captives just got the best Mother's Day present imagineable. May all those involved find healing.
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