Ariel Castro Hangs Himself and the Impact

This past week Ariel Castro the kidnapper and abuser of three young women for nearly a decade hanged himself in prison. He couldn’t last more than a month in prison yet the young women in his personal prison lasted nearly a decade. Life takes unusual turns at times: does it not?

I must say that at every turn people are asking me to weigh in on Ariel Castro’s suicide. They want to know how I think that this will impact the 3 women who were his victims. I have given this question much thought and am of two minds about it because I really cannot speak for these women. Only they can.

At first I thought that his death would help bring them closure. I’ve been thinking that his death would somehow symbolize the end of a bad nightmare. I thought about this a bit more and I am concerned that his death is a one time event and cannot possibly help heal the years of abuse and dehumanization that they faced literally at his hands.

I am waiting to see how Amanda, Michele and Gina respond to his death. We should,of course, expect different reactions from each of them. Simply because they have the decade long history of horrors in common does not mean that they are one and the same in terms of their emotional and visceral reactions. The human condition is a very delicate thing. One person’s triumphs is another individual’s devastation.