Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Elizabeth Smart has opened up about her decision to forgive those responsible for her abduction and torture. At the age of 14, she was kidnapped from her home and held captive for nine months.
On June 5, 2002, in the quiet hours of the morning, Elizabeth was forcibly taken from her Salt Lake City, Utah, bedroom by Brian David Mitchell, who wielded a knife to ensure her compliance.
Mitchell led her to the mountains, where Elizabeth encountered Wanda Barzee, Mitchell’s accomplice and wife. Barzee instructed Elizabeth to change out of her pyjamas, warning that Mitchell would forcibly remove her clothing if she refused.
Elizabeth then suffered the first of many assaults by Brian, who subjected her to rape multiple times daily.
Throughout her captivity, she was treated inhumanely, forced to be on a leash, behave like a pet, and consume alcohol.
Elizabeth’s disappearance became a highly publicized missing persons case, featured on America’s Most Wanted, ultimately leading to her rescue on March 12, 2003, after a bystander recognized her.
Elizabeth recounts her harrowing experience in the Netflix documentary, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart.
In the documentary, the now 38-year-old Elizabeth shares insights into her captivity and discusses its long-lasting effects on her life.
The film also includes interviews with those involved in the investigation and Elizabeth’s family members.
Elizabeth’s first public interview after her ordeal was with Larry King on his CNN show, Live, in May 2006, when she was just 18.
During the interview, accompanied by her father Ed, Elizabeth spoke candidly about her recovery process both during and after her abduction.
Larry King questioned whether Elizabeth had forgiven her captors. Elizabeth, from a family with strong faith as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, replied affirmatively.
She explained: “Yes. Yes, I do. One day my mom sat me down and she said, ‘You know, Elizabeth, you can either… forgive them and move on and just forget that it ever happened to you and… continue on in your life or… [believe] what they did to you was horrible and you didn’t deserve that and no one should deserve that and… you can just sit there and be mad at them…
“‘But really then… your whole life is going to be wrapped up in it and you won’t be able to move on. And you’ll… always think to yourself: Oh well, my life would be so much better if these two people never had happened… And just blame everything on them.'”
Mitchell and Barzee faced charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated burglary.
In 2011, Mitchell received a life sentence, while Barzee was sentenced to 15 years; however, she was released in 2018.
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is set to debut on Netflix on January 21.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7, or chat online via online.rainn.org.