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Ohio kidnap victim Michelle Knight reveals Ariel Castro caused five miscarriages

ONE of the Ohio kidnap victims has revealed she was beaten until she miscarried five times, in an explosive new book to mark the anniversary of the rescue.

Ariel Castro's first victim speaks out

ONE of three victims held captive for more than a decade inside an Ohio house has revealed her captor beat her until she miscarried five times, in an explosive new book to mark the anniversary of their rescue.

Michelle Knight told NBC’s Dateline that she was gripped with terror each time Ariel Castro sexually assaulted her and beat her when he realised she was pregnant.

“He wanted to break me,” Knight told interviewer Suzannah Guthrie.

“You can’t break someone that’s already been broken. You can only make them stronger.”

Horrific ... Michelle Knight has revealed her captor Ariel Castro beat her until she miscarried five times. Picture: Today
Horrific ... Michelle Knight has revealed her captor Ariel Castro beat her until she miscarried five times. Picture: Today
Disturbing ... during an explosive NBC interview, Michelle Knight used a reconstruction of the Cleveland ‘house of horrors’ to show how Ariel Castro abused her. Picture: NBC
Disturbing ... during an explosive NBC interview, Michelle Knight used a reconstruction of the Cleveland ‘house of horrors’ to show how Ariel Castro abused her. Picture: NBC

In one particularly harrowing tale, the 33-year-old described how she once tried to escape through a door Castro left open, but wasn’t fast enough.

She revealed that after this, her captor would play mind games with Knight and the two other captives, Amanda Berry and GinaDeJesus.

He would leave doors tantalisingly ajar to tempt the girls to run, only to shut them in their faces.

Knight, who is now known as Lily Rose Lee, said her dramatic escape on May 6, 2013, following years of abuse and torture, was extremely emotional.

House of horrors ... Ariel Castro kept Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight and Amanda Berry locked up in his Cleveland, Ohio home for more than a decade. Picture: AP
House of horrors ... Ariel Castro kept Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight and Amanda Berry locked up in his Cleveland, Ohio home for more than a decade. Picture: AP

“I hear this big loud noise, crash, boom,” she said. “Then, it was the police.”

Despite the horror Castro put her through, Knight incredibly told NBC’s Today that she forgives her captor “because that’s the way life is”.

“If I did something wrong, even if it was a small thing, I would want somebody to forgive me,” she said. “So I can forgive him for what he done wrong because that’s the way of life.”

Castro hanged himself in prison just three weeks into his life sentence.

MORE: BEHIND THE FORGOTTEN ABDUCTEE MICHELLE KNIGHT

The “house of horrors” survivor also revealed she understands the decision of her son’s new family not to share with the 14-year-old the identity of his birth mother.

Knight’s son Joey was given up for adoption when she was missing.

The 33-year-old has written a memoir Finding Me which comes out on May 6, the one-year anniversary of the women’s escape.

Memoior ... Kidnapping survivor Michelle Knight will release her book on the first anniversary of her escape on May 6. Picture: Weinstein Books
Memoior ... Kidnapping survivor Michelle Knight will release her book on the first anniversary of her escape on May 6. Picture: Weinstein Books

Originally published as Ohio kidnap victim Michelle Knight reveals Ariel Castro caused five miscarriages

Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/entertainment/books/ohio-kidnap-victim-michelle-knight-reveals-ariel-castro-caused-five-miscarriages/news-story/2f3e35c3cd4973af946048ebae8ea988