SALT LAKE CITY — For the first time since the woman who kidnapped her was taken into custody for breaking parole stipulations by visiting local parks, Elizabeth Smart is speaking out about the arrest of Wanda Barzee.
In a statement posted to her foundation's website on Thursday, and in a video on her Instagram social media page, Smart shared her thoughts on the arrest and how it matched the concerns she had about Barzee’s initial release on parole in 2018.
Barzee was arrested at her home on May 1 after an investigation showed she had visited Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, which is a violation of her parole as a registered sex offender, in which she is prohibited from going to any community parks.
Woman who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart arrested for violating probation:
When she was arrested, Barzee told police that she went to the park because she was "commanded to by the Lord," who also told her to visit Sugar House Park.
In her video, Smart said Barzee’s reasoning was "very familiar to me and probably the most concerning to me because that's how they justified kidnapping me."
Smart said after last week's arrest, she recalled the words her mother told her after she was rescued in 2003, that Barzee and her husband, Brian David Mitchell, should not steal another second of her life.
"Although this situation has arisen, I refuse to live my life in fear," she said. "I refuse to allow anyone to stop me from living my life."
Smart went on to thank the Salt Lake City Police Department for how they handled their recent investigation.
"They handled the situation with a trauma-informed approach, which means so much to me personally," she said, adding that "when authorities take these situations, these violations seriously, it sends a very important message that survivor safety matters."
As the video continued, Smart mentioned that while her case received massive attention, most survivors never see their perpetrators arrested or convicted, saying that for most survivors, there is more of a "legal system than a justice system."
Smart hopes the latest Barzee incident puts survivors in the center of the legal process, claiming that they understand the risks others may overlook in the system.
In a direct plea to lawmakers and law enforcement officials, she asked them to see what happened as a reminder that sex offender registries and release conditions "exist for important reasons."
"I believe in a future where all survivors can be heard, believed and supported," said Smart, adding that is what her foundation is working towards.
