Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus talked about of the power of hope Tuesday night, exactly one year to the day that they escaped from a decade of torture in kidnapper Ariel Castro's Cleveland house of horrors.
'If I could say only one thing, it would be this: Never give up hope, because miracles do happen,' Berry said, fighting back tears.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children honored the two women at its annual Hope Awards in Washington, D.C. The awards event remembers missing children and recognizes people who help make the world safer for kids, The Plain Dealer reported.
Castro's third victim, Michelle Knight, was not present because the center focuses on missing children and teens. Berry disappeared in 2003, a day before she turned 17, and a 14-year-old DeJesus went missing a year later. Knight was 21 when she was kidnapped in 2002.
Castro abducted the three women in separate incidents. He kept them chained in his home for more than a decade, continually raping and beating them.
On May 6 2013, they were able to escape from the Cleveland home with Berry's six-year-old daughter, who was fathered by Castro.
Castro was sentenced to life in prison for his horrific crimes last year. A month into his prison term, he hanged himself. The notorious Seymour Ave. house was demolished last year.
While in Washington for the awards, Berry and DeJesus met President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. They also toured the White House with Obama's dog, Bo.
Knight now goes by Lillian Rose Lee. Her memoir, 'Finding Me,' was published this week.
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Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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