Kidnapping and sexual abuse survivor shares message of empowerment at Iowa State

Oct. 06--Elizabeth Smart spoke to the Ames community about her journey from victim to survivor, to empowered victor during a lecture Friday at Stephens Auditorium on the Iowa State University campus.

Smart began her story of empowerment by telling the audience three things she wanted them to remember from the entire night.

"Each one of us is born special and each one of us is born unique," she said.

"There is unfortunately a lot of things that happen in life that aren't fair," Smart continued. "It's not our fault, it may the consequences of someone's actions, but that doesn't change your worth."

Smart ended her first remarks with a genuine smile she spread to others in the audience.

"At the end of the day no matter what you've gone through, no matter what it seems the world knows you for, it doesn't define you," she said. "What you do next is what truly defines you."

On the night of June 5, 2002, Smart was 14-years-old when she was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City and spent nine months in captivity. Her abusers tortured her and raped her during her captivity. A couple were convicted of abducting Smart, with the husband serving a life sentence in prison, while the wife was recently released.

Her kidnapping captured national attention, becoming one of the most-followed child abduction cases in national history.

Smart said when she was raped for the first time, she felt a loss of hope. She felt physically hurt, but the event hurt her emotionally, mentally and especially spiritually. She said, at that time, she felt as if there was no hope left for her.

"I should just give up now because I wasn't worth saving," she reflected. "Even if someone did save me, my life was over."

She said her thoughts spiraled into thinking about the amount of time she would be away from her home. She said she was afraid of never being found and even forgetting who she was.

"They've taken away so much from me, they could take away my life," she said.

This led to her grasping the smallest piece of hope she could find, Smart said.

"They will never take away that my parents love me," said Smart.

She continued to want an end to her misery, she said.

After nine months, Smart was rescued in Sandy, Utah, and returned to her family on March 12, 2003.

She said when she was questioned by the authorities after her rescue, she felt the questions they asked blamed her for not trying hard enough to scream, run away from her abusers or find help.

Smart, now 30, said that reason she would believe any victim, no matter how many years after their abuse, is because of the similar effect other victims have felt from their abusers, like she did.

"My captors had been so abusive for so long, they seemed invincible," she said. "If I tried to scream or run away, they would kill me and if they didn't kill me, they would kill me family."

Speaking to the media before Friday evening's lecture, Smart said when she realized that her experience wasn't making her a victim anymore, but a victor, she knew she had to help others become victors too.

"I realized I had the opportunity to tell my story because of my support," she said. "Some people are sexually abused by their families and do not have that support."

Being able to have her family's support and love, she knew the opportunity would be beneficial for victims and herself, Smart said.

"The best thing I can do is teach them that they are loved," Smart said.

She said that empowering others who were effected is her most important message. She said she wants to end rape culture, but during the circumstances of the world is her best effort.

"I want women to take charge of their life without feeling scared," Smart said. "What happened will never define you."

___

(c)2018 the Ames Tribune, Iowa

Visit the Ames Tribune, Iowa at www.amestrib.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.