A kidnapping saga unfolded in Cleveland this week as 52-year-old musician Ariel Castro was taken into custody for the kidnapping of three women, some of whom he held in his house for more than a decade. In Trenton, NJ, three children were released following a 36-hour long hostage situation during which one individual has been killed. Finally, the Bangladesh government is set to face some even tougher criticism as a factory fire adds to the death toll of another factory collapse from to weeks ago.
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Cleveland Kidnapper Arrested, Charged for Kidnapping and Rape of Three Women
A horrific kidnapping saga unfolded in Cleveland this past week as Ariel Castro, 52, was arrested and charged for the kidnapping and rape of three women, some of whom he had held hostage for more than a decade.
Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were all kidnapped within 2002-2004 by Castro while they were young women. Castro had lured the young girls and captured them, holding them inside his house for more than 10 years until Berry escaped early this week.
The women were initially held in the basement of the home before being moved to the house’s second floor. All three were abused and raped by Castro, who eventually fathered a child, now 6, with Berry after raping her. The women had reportedly been raped and impregnated various times during their captivity, with Castro forcing them to miscarry by starving them and punching them in the stomach.
Castro has been charged with three counts of rape and four counts of kidnapping, with the fourth kidnapping accusation being the child he had with Berry during her captivity.
Bangladesh Factory Collapse Death Toll Soars to Over 1000, Factory Fire Kills 8
Bodies continue to be pulled out of the Rana Plaza factory wreckage in Bangladesh following the building’s collapse two weeks ago. While survivors are still being found, the death toll from the factory collapse has now exceeded 1000, official reports indicate.
In industrial Dhaka on Wednesday, a fire swept through another garment factory, killing eight workers who failed to escape the blaze.
The Bangladesh government had shut down 18 garment factories following Rana Plaza’s tragic collapse. Six were cleared to be re-opened on Thursday following inspections.
Both incidents shed light on the working conditions of Bangladesh’s booming garment industry. Since the collapse, citizens have clamored for safer working environments that won’t put workers’ lives in danger.
Hostages Held in Trenton, NJ, Released Sunday Morning
A standoff between police and an armed man in Trenton, NJ was resolved as of this morning after a 36-hour ordeal.
The hostage situation began when police arrived at the home to conduct a scheduled visit to “check on the well-being of an individual,” but then discovered that one person had been killed and the others taken hostage by an armed man. Nearby homes were quickly evacuated and a standoff ensued.
The three hostages were all children, and all three have been released. The identity of the suspect remains a mystery, but authorities have taken him into custody.