Cleveland's missing women: Looking back at an amazing week

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(Gallery by Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio lawmakers today are set to introduce legislation that would give

$25,000 for every year each of the three Cleveland women spent in captivity.

The Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus Survivors of Abduction Act (read the full text of the proposed legislation in the document viewer below) aims to extend the offer of state aid to anyone who is held captive for eight or more years. The bill, sponsored by Cleveland Democratic Rep. John Barnes, would also give victims free tuition to any state university or college, and a lifetime of free healthcare.

"We don't want to have a public policy give-away, but we want to restore what they would have gotten if they were free," Barnes said. "I think it's extremely important to restore what they would have received over the last 10 years."

Berry, DeJesus and Knight each were held for nearly a decade in the Seymour Avenue home of accused abductor Ariel Castro. Knight went missing in August 2002, Berry in April 2003, and DeJesus in April 2004. All three women -- including Berry's 6-year-old daughter born in captivity -- were rescued May 6.

Many groups have raised funds for the victims since news broke of their safe return. The Cleveland Courage Fund, set up in the wake of the tragedy, has raised more than $750,000 for the women.

"This in no way should hinder or slow efforts through other philanthropic gestures," Barnes said. "We have seen wonderful blessings from a lot of people, and I want to encourage people to continue to do that."

Under the Survivors of Abduction Act, victims would be paid from the state’s court of claims victims of crime fund.

The bill's co-sponsors are Democratic Reps. Bill Patmon, Nickie Antonio and Dale Mallory, and Republican Reps. Cheryl Grossman, Lynn Watchmann and Kirk Shuring.

A spokesman for Speaker William G. Batchelder, who leads the Republican-controlled House, said the speaker has yet to see Barnes' legislation.

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