Ariel Castro (C)
The US man accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in his house in Ohio will plead not guilty to all charges, his lawyers say. Ariel Castro, aged 52, is charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape.
The women were abducted at different times and held in Castro's house in Cleveland. One of them escaped earlier this month and raised the alarm, reports the BBC. "He's not a monster and he shouldn't be demonised," said lawyer Jaye Schlachet.
Speaking to the AFP news agency, he added that details of Castro's innocence "will be disclosed as the case progresses".
Craig Weintraub, another defence lawyer, told WKYC-TV that his client "loves dearly'' the child he fathered with 27-year-old Amanda Berry - one of the three alleged kidnap victims.
The other women freed from Mr Castro's house were Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32.
Prosecutors in Ohio have said they also plan to seek aggravated murder charges that could carry the death penalty.
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