Who is Elizabeth Smart? This is what you need to know about the case behind Netflix's new true crime docu
After watching a true crime documentary, one feeling often lingers: relief, that we can simply turn off Netflix and that the horrific things we just saw did not happen to us. But what if that is not the case? The new documentary ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’ poses exactly that question. Elizabeth Smart tells her own story and takes us back to her abduction, a case that grew into one of the most poignant and discussed true crime cases in the United States and continues to have an impact to this day.
Who is Elizabeth Smart?
It is still the middle of the night when 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart is abducted from her home in Salt Lake City on June 5, 2002. The kidnapper threatens her with a knife and demands that she cooperates. If not, he will kill her. Elizabeth's five-year-younger sister Mary is also in the room, but out of fear, she pretends to be asleep. That turns out to be her salvation. Elizabeth is taken away, and Mary will later play a crucial role as the only witness in the case.
For nine months, Elizabeth is held captive and sexually abused. No one knows where she is, while it later turns out that her abductor takes her out in public several times during that period. Disguised and under constant threat, she is unable to ask for help. Only thanks to persistent media attention is Elizabeth eventually recognized and reunited with her family. The abduction is over, but the case is far from it. It will have an impact for years to come, and not just on herself.
Why Elizabeth Smart's case became so big in the US
That local media pay attention to missing persons is nothing new in the United States. But that national broadcasters report extensively on one case for weeks and even set aside other news for it is indeed unusual. The fact that Elizabeth Smart's case receives so much attention is no coincidence. Her family puts everything on the line from the start to find her and needed the media desperately for that. Just a day after the abduction, they hold a press conference and continue to actively bring attention to the case. They have drawings made of possible suspects and enlist the help of the ‘America's Most Wanted’ program.
There's something else at play. The summer of 2002 is a period in which several child abductions make the news, and the fear in the country is great. That another innocent girl is taken from an apparently safe neighborhood only heightens that unrest.
The moment the case truly explodes is Elizabeth's rescue. Many missing persons cases do not last nine months and end tragically. That Elizabeth survived and is reunited with her family is unprecedented. The revelations that follow about what she experienced ensure that attention for the case continues to grow.
The impact of Elizabeth Smart's case
Due to the exceptional details of the case and the enormous media attention, Elizabeth's story did not go unnoticed in politics either. A month and a half after her rescue, she is invited to the White House along with her family by then-President George W. Bush. Later, he signs a bill encouraging states to set up Amber Alert systems so that information can be shared more quickly in cases of missing persons. The goal: to better protect children in the future.
Elizabeth herself also decides to use her experience to help others. In the years following her abduction, she grows into an activist and writes several books about her story. In 2011, she establishes the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, an organization dedicated to victims of sexual violence and focused on prevention and education. By continuing to share her story in books, films, and documentaries, Elizabeth draws attention to what happened to her and to the many victims who often remain unheard. That motivation also forms the basis of this new documentary.
Elizabeth Smart speaks out
Elizabeth Smart is now fully engaged as an activist, but that hasn't always been the case. In the period after her rescue, she struggled for a long time with shame. “Although I rationally knew it wasn't my fault, I couldn't shake that feeling. I was afraid people would judge me and felt very alone and isolated,” she previously told PEOPLE Magazine. As more comes to light about her case, Elizabeth notices that her own perspective is often missing. The shame she feels, she later recognizes in other victims she meets in her work as an activist.
In this new documentary, Elizabeth shares her story in detail, but she is not alone in it. Her father, her sister, investigators, and other involved parties also speak about the case and its impact. New archival material provides a more complete picture. Elizabeth hopes that other victims will find support in this and realize that they are not alone. She also wants to show that not resisting is not a sign of weakness, but sometimes simply a way to survive. What does she hope viewers will remember? “There are happy endings. Even after the worst events, you can still have a beautiful life.”
After watching, this docu does linger for a while. ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’ is now available on Netflix.
Image: Netflix
