Elizabeth Smart Shares Message Of Hope For Abuse Victims

She’s a kidnapping survivor who’s become an advocate for child abuse victims, and on Saturday, Elizabeth Smart was in Colorado Springs headlining a fundraiser for Safe Passage.

Safe Passage, a non-profit that supports child abuse victims in southern Colorado, held its annual gala at the Crown Plaza hotel. It was sold out with Smart as the guest speaker.

Smart was 14 when she was kidnapped from her Utah bedroom in 2002. She was held captive and abused for nine months before being rescued. The couple who took her has been convicted. Now, a decade later, Smart is a newlywed who says she’s no longer a victim.

“When I came home from being kidnapped, my mom gave me the best piece of advice I’ve ever been given,” said Smart at a press conference. “She said that ‘What this man has done to you is so terrible there just aren’t words strong enough to describe what he’s taken away from you. Nine months of your life you will never get back. Don’t give him any more of your life. The nest punishment you can give him is to be happy and live your life the way you want to.'”

Smart has taken that advice, devoting her life to empowering victims and helping prevent abuse. One tip she has for parents is teach their kids how to fight back.

“Over 80% of children that scream or that fight back, they’re able to escape their captors,” said Smart.

Smart has started her own foundation , and she travels the country supporting groups like Safe Passage. Saturday’s gala raises 80 percent of the group’s budget for the year, allowing Safe Passage to continue to support more than 1,000 kids in the midst of abuse investigations. Safe Passage gives victims a safe, comfortable place to talk about what happened, and works with police so kids only have to tell their story once.

“We send them away with a little stuffed animal and a blanket and let them know we’re here to support them through the entire process– court case, everything,” said David York, the board of directors vice president.

Smart’s message for victims is one of hope.

“I would want them to know that because an event like this has happened to them in their lives, that doesn’t mean that they’re any less than anybody else,” Smart said. “It won’t control them for the rest of their lives, they can overcome it.”

For more information on Safe Passage, including how to donate or volunteer, click here .