On 7th May 2013 fate finally decided to smile on the lives of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight as one brave man decided to investigate screams for help instead of walking away. Given the current level of gun crime in America the actions of Charles Ramsey are all the more commendable and all the more unbelievable. For every Charles Ramsey there are a thousand that would have elected not to involve themselves in the argument of another.
Now the women are free but the nightmare is far from being over for them. How do you even begin to piece your life together after such an ordeal? Is it even possible? This is a long way from being a story of happily ever after as the victims struggle to readjust and the families come to terms with the fact that the woman standing before them bears no resemblance to the daughter they lost all those years ago.
With cases such as this the inevitable question that always arises is that of the death penalty. Is there a place for it in a modern western society? I think that in certain circumstances, where the evidence is so overwhelming and there can be no element of doubt whatsoever, the death penalty not only has a place in our society but is an absolute necessity.
As much as we like to believe that there is some good in all we must eventually accept that in this world there are simply some people that are inherently evil. They do not deserve our pity, they do not deserve our attempts to rehabilitate, and they certainly do not deserve an existence at the expense of the society they have sought to corrupt and harm.
Ariel Castro and any accomplices must be put to death for their crime. We have failed the three victims by allowing this to happen. We must not now fail them once more by preventing any slim chance they may have of living a normal life by denying them closure on this monster.