Smart’s family was her driving force for survival throughout the traumatic experience. “I didn’t know if I screamed or if I tried to fight him off - would he try to take her? Would he take her instead? And I felt like I couldn’t risk it. In this moment, Smart’s top priority was protecting her sister, which meant complying with the orders she was given. The one thing I did know was that my younger sister, who was still in bed asleep next to me … was breathing.” “I didn’t know if he had killed my parents or my brothers. “I didn’t know if he had been through my home beforehand,” she said. Frozen with fear, Smart thought of her family.
When she was awoken in her bed that summer night, her 9-year-old sister lay next to her as her abductor held a knife against Smart’s throat. Smart complied with her abuser’s orders to protect her family. “I would like to think that I would have cared about these issues had I not been kidnapped,” Smart said, “but the truth is, … I don’t know if I would have.” Those nine months in captivity changed her perspective on life. At 14 years old, she underwent mental manipulation and sexual abuse at the hands of a man who claimed he was a prophet of God.
On June 5, 2002, Smart was taken from her bed.
“ exemplifies the advocacy work that is so necessary in the fight to end sexual and gender-based violence.”Īssociate Director of Equity and Compliance and Title IX and 504 Coordinator Shannon Da Silva introduced Smart’s story of abduction, survival and success. “The movement to end sexual violence in the United States and around the world relies on people who have made a choice to expose harmful behaviors, to do something, to advocate for survivors,” Stephens told the Mount Holyoke community. Smart promotes the possibility of “life after tragedy.”Ĭollege President Sonya Stephens spoke before Smart, emphasizing the importance her work has had for survivors. Smart is known for her role in establishing safety legislation to prevent abductions, such as the national Amber Alert system. Content Warning: the following article contains mentions of sexual assaultģ3-year-old New York Times bestselling author and activist Elizabeth Smart visited the Mount Holyoke community on April 29 as part of the College’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming.
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