Elizabeth Smart, who in 2002 was kidnapped, raped, and held captive for nine months, is protesting the release of one of her tormentors.
Wanda Barzee, the wife Brian David Mitchell, is due to be released, well ahead of the 2024 date that the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole initially decided on. Smart has spoken out about the release, calling her a “threat.”
“She did appalling things while I was in captivity,” Smart told reporters in Salt Lake City. “I know the depth of her depravity, and I think the community should be educated on it.”
Smart, however, has no legal standing to challenge Barzee’s release, according to BuzzFeed. ”She is a woman who had six children,” she said. “And yet co-conspired to kidnap a 14-year-old girl and not only sit next to her while being raped, but encourage her husband to continue to rape me.”
