Although the terms of his punishment are already known, Ariel Castro is set to be sentenced in court Thursday in order for prosecutors to demonstrate the severe impact he had on the lives of the women he held captive, the Detroit Free Press reports.
The sentencing, is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., is "about making clear this man's acts had on his victims and this community,'' said Joseph Frolik, spokesman for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office.
Between 2002 and 2004, Castro kidnapped Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight. He allegedly lured each woman to his house by offering them a ride, promising a visit with his daughter, or in Knight's case, a puppy for her son. While they were held in captivity, Castro raped and abused them. He fathered a child with Berry, born on Christmas six years ago, after several miscarriages resulting from physical abuse and starvation.
Each kept a diary of the torture they endured while under Castro's roof. He reportedly had a gun and threatended to shoot them if they ever tried to escape.
Last week, Castro, 53, plead guilty to charges of rape, murder, and kidnapping to avoid the death penalty conviction. He was given life imprisonment plus 1,000 years without a chance of parole.
After they were rescued in May, the women have avoided the public eye for the most part. Berry was seen on stage at a Nelly concert last week and DeJesus was seen right before a tall fence was put up around her house.
Individual lawyers representing the victims have not confirmed nor denied if any of the three will speak at the hearing today. However, CNN reported last night that Castro's sister, Marisol Alicea, said her brother will testify and show the world that he is "not the monster that everyone thinks he is."
However, Alicea also noted that "he must pay for what he did."
