Elizabeth Smart Breaks Silence on Kidnapper's Recent Arrest
Originally appeared on E! Online
Elizabeth Smart is not letting her past trauma keep her down.
One week after Wanda Barzee—who kidnapped a then-14-year-old Smart in 2002 and held her captive for nine months—was arrested for violating the terms of her sex offender status by visiting two Utah public parks, according to online booking records viewed by E! News at the time, Smart shared her thoughts on the troubling situation.
'I want to begin by saying thank you to everyone for your continued support. I never, ever take it for granted,' the 37-year-old said in a video shared to her Elizabeth Smart Foundation's Instagram May 8. 'Her justification was that she was 'commanded by the Lord,' which unfortunately, is very familiar to me and is probably the most concerning thing, because that's how they justified kidnapping me.'
Smart also noted that 'this incident confirms exactly why' she has been 'vocal' about her concerns with Barzee—who pleaded guilty in 2009 to kidnapping and unwarranted transportation of a minor, according to a statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—since she was released in 2018 after serving only a portion of her 15-year sentence.
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(Barzee's husband, Brian David Mitchell—who, Smart testified in 2009, raped her daily throughout her nine-month captivity—is currently serving a life sentence for interstate kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor.)
Despite her worries, Smart praised local authorities for their handling of the situation.
'I am so grateful to the Salt Lake Police Department and Chief [Brian] Redd for their quick and professional response,' she shared. 'They handled this situation with a trauma-informed approach, which means so much to me personally. When authorities take these situations, these violations, seriously, it sends a very powerful message that survivor safety matters.'
After calling for more progress to be made within the legal justice system to protect survivors of sexual violence, Smart noted she refuses to let Barzee's recent resurfacing impact the joy she has found in life.
'Personally, this situation for me, I turned back to the advice my own mother gave me the day after I was rescued,' Smart shared. 'She said, 'They've already stolen nine months of your life away from you. Do not let them steal another second. You need to move forward with your life and you need to be happy.''
She added, 'I have always tried to follow that advice to the best of my ability. So, although this situation has arisen, I refuse to live my life in fear. I refuse to allow anyone to stop me from living.'
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