Michelle Knight spoke as the demolition of the house where she and two others were held captive by Ariel Castro for a decade in Cleveland began.
Knight handed out yellow balloons to people and reporters who turned out to watch crews begin taking apart the house of horrors, notes CNN.
“I want the people out there to know, including (abductees') mothers, that they can have strength, they can have hope. And their child will come back,” Knight said. Later, she lead a group in releasing the balloons and declared that she is standing up for abducted children who haven’t been found.
“I go from here as being a motivational speaker and let everybody know that they are heard, that they are loved, and that there is hope for everyone,” Knight added.
Knight was held captive by Castro for 11 years. The other two women Castro had abducted were Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus. DeJesus’ aunt Georgian also attended the event.
Crews started demolishing the house at 7:30 a.m. Castro gave the house over to the prosecution as part of his plea deal. The AP notes that prosecutors said that he cried as he signed away the house. Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said that Castro recalled “many happy memories” there. McGinty called Castro “one evil guy” and said that the tears were a sign of his “distorted and twisted” personality.
Castro pleaded guilty to 937 counts, including kidnapping, rape and assault. He was given life in prison without parole, plus 1,000 years. Knight spoke directly to Castro at the sentencing last week, telling him, “Your hell is just beginning.”