Cleveland Kidnapping Victims Thank Public In YouTube Video [VIDEO]

In a YouTube video released early on Tuesday morning, the three young Cleveland women who were rescued on May 6 after nearly a decade in captivity thanked the public for its outpouring of support. In doing so, Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, broke their silence for the first time since their release, in a move explained by Knight's lawyer, Kathy Joseph, as being prompted by the recognition the three women have continued to experience. "People are recognizing them now as they go about in public, so they decided to put voices and faces to their heartfelt messages," Joseph told the Chicago Tribune.

Michelle Knight, the last to speak in the video, gave the lengthiest and most emphatic statement of the three women, saying, "I may have been through hell and back, but I'm strong enough to walk through hell with a smile on my face, and with my head held high, and my feet firmly on the ground...I will not let the situation define who I am. I will define the situation. I don't want to be consumed by hatred."

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Amanda Berry, the first to appear, thanked her family and friends and asked everyone "continue to respect our privacy and give us time to have a normal life". She added that the privacy afforded her since the ordeal has "helped immensely" in her ongoing recovery.

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Gina DeJesus spoke the most briefly, telling the public, "I would say thank you for your support." Her mother and father spoke as well.

"Count on your neighbors," said her mother. "Don't be afraid to ask for their help, because help is available.

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The video was filmed last week in the offices of the law firm which manages the Cleveland Courage Fund, a trust fund established for the three women which has swelled to over $1 million on the strength of donations from over 9,200 individuals, according to the Tribune.

Ariel Castro, 52, the Cleveland man accused of abducting them between 2002 and 2004 and imprisoning them in the basement of his home, has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, rape and murder charges. Last week after undergoing a mental evaluation, he was declared mentally fit to stand trial. He is being held on an $8 million bond and is scheduled to return to court on July 24 to stand trial on his 329 criminal counts.