Ohio prosecutors may seek execution for Ariel Castro

Ohio prosecutors have said they plan to seek aggravated murder charges that could carry the death penalty against the man suspected of imprisoning three women for about a decade.

The charges relate to alleged forced miscarriages suffered by one victim.

Ariel Castro, 52, was arraigned in court earlier for the kidnap and rape of Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23 and Michelle Knight, 32.

Ms Berry escaped on Monday and was able to raise the alarm.

'Torture chamber'

On Thursday, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said the murder charges were based on evidence from Michelle Knight that Mr Castro had impregnated her, then physically abused and starved her in order to induce five miscarriages while she was being held captive in his house in Cleveland.

"I fully intend to seek charges for each and every act of sexual violence, rape, each day of kidnapping, every felonious assault, all his attempted murders, and each act of aggravated murder he committed by terminating pregnancies that the offender perpetuated against the hostages," Mr McGinty told a news conference.

"My office will also engage in a formal process in which we evaluate to seek charges eligible for the death penalty.

"This child kidnapper operated a torture chamber and private prison in the heart of our city," he added.

Earlier in the day, Mr Castro appeared in court in Cleveland, handcuffed and dressed in blue overalls. He did not enter a plea.

He is charged with four counts of kidnapping, covering the three initial abduction victims and Jocelyn, Ms Berry's six-year-old daughter, who was apparently conceived and born in captivity.

The former school bus driver also faces three counts of rape, one against each woman.

Read More: BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22475771