Ariel Castro’s daughter, 22-year-old Arlene Castro, has offered a tearful apology to the three women her father allegedly kidnapped and kept captive at his Cleveland home for more than a decade.
Appearing on Thursday’s Good Morning America , Castro said she was “so, so sorry” for the ordeal the three women had been through. She also urged kidnap victim Gina DeJesus, who was friends with Arlene in her teenage years, to reach out:
“I would like to say I’m absolutely so, so sorry. I really want to see you, Gina. And I want you to meet my kids. I’m so sorry for everything.”
Castro added:
“I’m going to have to say I’m really disappointed, embarrassed, just mainly devastated about this whole situation.”
Ariel Castro’s daughter confirmed she had never met the six-year-old daughter of Amanda Berry , who was allegedly fathered by Ariel Castro. She also revealed she’d never been close to her father, who she last spoke to in April:
“Me and my father were never really that close. Every time we would talk it would just be short conversations, just a ‘hello,’ ‘how are you, doing?’ and ‘let me know if you need anything,’ and that was it.”
As a close teenage friend of kidnap victim Gina DeJesus, Castro would have been one of the last people to see her before she vanished in 2004. In a 2005 interview with America’s Most Wanted , a 14-year-old Arlene was interviewed about her missing friend:
Ariel Castro is accused of imprisoning Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight for several years.
The 52-year-old appeared at Cleveland’s municipal court on Thursday, where he was charged with kidnap and rape. Bail was set at $2 million for each of the four charges against him.
You can watch GMA ‘s interview with Ariel Castro’s daughter below, along with a full transcript of the exchange.
Anchor : Thank you so much for joining us this morning, Arlene. You were probably the last person to see Gina DeJesus alive. What was your reaction when you learned that your father had confessed to holding her captive for so many years? Arlene Castro : I’m going to have to say I’m really disappointed, embarrassed, just mainly devastated about this whole situation.
Anchor : When was the last time you spoke to your father? AC : It was late last month.
Anchor : And had you been in regular contact with him, and had you any kind of inkling at all that something like this could be going on inside his home? AC : No, I had no idea. Me and my father were never really that close. Every time we would talk it would just be short conversations, just a ‘hello,’ ‘how are you, doing?’ and ‘let me know if you need anything,’ and that was it. Every time.
Anchor : And did you ever meet the little girl, Jocelyn? AC : No, I’ve never met her before.
Anchor : In terms of violence in the home, did you ever witness that? AC : Oh no, never. Never.
Anchor : And what would you like to say to Gina, her family, and the other women now? AC : I would like to say I’m absolutely so, so sorry. I really want to see you Gina. And I want you to meet my kids. I’m so sorry for everything.