Three books, a foundation dedicated to helping sexual assault survivors, a Netflix documentary, public speaking engagements—Elizabeth Smart has never shied away from addressing the kidnapping and abuse she suffered in the early 2000s. Now a married mother of three, Smart became the focus of the news worldwide when she was kidnapped from her bed in her Utah home in the middle of the night. She was sexually abused by her captors daily for nine months before she was rescued. She says it’s important to let other sexual abuse victims understand they’re not alone. “I think it is really such a comfort to know that someone else out there understands what you’re going through and that you’re not alone and that you don’t have to be ashamed of what happened to you,” Smart told CTV News. Smart speaks at the Be Brave Luncheons—May 6 in Edmonton and May 8 in Calgary—in support of Little Warriors, an Alberta organization that provides therapy to children and teenagers who have endured sexual abuse. Little Warriors CEO Wanda Polzin Holman said Smart is an ideal spokesperson for the organization. “When children and teens and families are given the resources and supports that they need after they’ve experienced a traumatic event, there’s so much resilience, and, obviously, Elizabeth is such an amazing example of that,” Polzin Holman said. Smart is now following the plight of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and admires how they’ve stepped forward and demanded transparency and justice. “I just want them to know I think they are heroes,” Smart said. “I think they are so courageous for speaking up. And for them to speak up, not only are they making a difference in their own lives, and in this case in particular, but they’re helping other victims know that they’re not alone.”
