Author and Abused Abduction Survivor, Elizabeth Smart, Exposes System That Lets Abusers Walk Free

CLEVELAND 13 (WCTU) — When Elizabeth Smart was 14, she was abducted from her Utah home, held captive for nine months, and repeatedly assaulted before her rescue in March 2003. More than two decades later, Smart continues to speak out; not only about her own trauma but also about the broader issue of accountability for abusers and those who enable them.

In a Facebook post shared Tuesday, Smart wrote, “Survivors deserve the right to face all of their abusers, not just the ones who happen to be caught first. Anything less tells us our pain can be minimized, our stories can be politicized, and our abusers can be protected if they are powerful enough.”

Her words echo a message she has carried throughout her advocacy work: that justice for survivors should not end when a single perpetrator is punished, but must extend to every person complicit in abuse. Smart drew parallels between her own experience and other high-profile abuse cases, including that of Jeffrey Epstein, highlighting the persistent leniency shown toward female enablers. “Women can also play devastating roles in abuse,” she wrote. “They can manipulate, groom, or facilitate with the same cruelty and effect.”

Smart’s abduction in 2002 by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, shocked the nation. Barzee, who helped Mitchell kidnap and imprison Smart, later served time in federal prison but was released early due to credit for time served. In her post, Smart condemned that leniency, stating that “child predators and abusers should be locked up for as long as possible.”

Her advocacy extends beyond recounting her ordeal. Smart has built a platform focused on supporting other survivors through public speaking, her foundation, and her bestselling books. Her memoir My Story, a #1 New York Times bestseller, chronicles her abduction and survival, while her follow-up, Where There’s Hope, explores resilience and recovery after trauma.

In her recent post, Smart also promoted her upcoming book Detours, in which she reflects on how healing is rarely straightforward. “The path to healing is not linear, and true closure is often a detoured, winding journey,” she wrote. “It requires not only confronting the systemic failures that enable abuse but also choosing to look forward, understanding that hope can be found even after the most devastating experiences.”

Smart’s message underscores her belief that silence and complacency perpetuate cycles of abuse. “Silence protects predators, not survivors,” she stated. “When abuse is dismissed as a ‘hoax’ or a political ploy too messy to confront, survivors are re-victimized.”

Through her work and writing, Smart continues to challenge societal tendencies to downplay the voices of victims while emphasizing that accountability must reach every corner of the systems that allow abuse to persist. Her call to action remains firm: to face the truth, to support survivors, and to ensure that those who enable abuse are never shielded by power, gender, or privilege.

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