The attorneys for Ariel Castro, the man accused of raping and kidnapping three women for around a decade in his Cleveland home, have claimed that he's not a 'monster' and will plead not guilty to kidnapping and rape charges.
Lawyer Jaye Schlachet said that they will plead that Castro is not guilty, but did not say on what grounds Castro will plead not guilty.
According to news.com.au, the lawyers said that Castro is not a monster and should not be demonised by the media. Schlachet added that all the evidence will be disclosed at the court proceedings,
The 52-year-old is being held on an eight million dollars bond and has been charged with kidnapping and raping three women over a 10-year period, one of whom bore his child in captivity.
Prosecutors said that they also may charge Castro with the aggravated murder of unborn babies as one of the women lost during beatings, a crime that could carry death penalty.
Michelle Knight, 32, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Amanda Berry, 27, were freed on May 6 after a neighbour heard Berry call for help and kicked in the door to Castro's house in a working-class Cleveland neighbourhood.