elizabeth smart finally testifies

[Amby 490]

SALT LAKE CITY — Elizabeth Smart testified Thursday that she was raped repeatedly by her alleged kidnapper Brian David Mitchell, whom she called "evil" in her first face-to-face meeting with him since he held her captive as one of his wives seven years ago.

Smart, now 21, said Mitchell raped her for the first time right after her June 2002 abduction, which happened while the then 14-year-old girl was sleeping in her Salt Lake City home.

She testified that the rapes continued three to four times a day during her 9-month-long abduction, and she was told she would be killed if she yelled or tried to escape.

It was Smart's first testimony about being snatched from her bedroom and held prisoner. She was on the stand in a competency hearing for Mitchell — who has twice before been deemed not fit for trial.

The case attracted intense national and international media attention.

Mitchell and his estranged wife were found with the girl in March 2003, nine months after she vanished from her parents' house as her younger sister watched. Smart, Mitchell and his wife were caught after they were spotted in a suburb by someone who recognized Smart.

A judge ruled earlier this week that testimony from Smart is relevant to Mitchell's mental competency.

Mitchell is accused of abducting Smart from her bedroom while she slept and making her a polygamous wife to fulfill a religious prophecy.

In letters written to her mother, Mitchell's estranged wife Wanda Eileen Barzee, 63, sought forgiveness for any pain she had caused and said she expects to spend the rest of her life in prison.

Barzee, however, made just one reference to Smart in the 12 letters sent to her mother. And she didn't provide details about the nine months the girl allegedly spent with her and Mitchell.

Last year, Mitchell was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor.

A 10-day competency hearing is scheduled to begin Nov. 30.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,558548,00.html

[almaty 19]

terrible......just terrible

[Nagishkaw 510]

and wrong.

[almaty 19]

true

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't think there are many people who would advocate that a 13/14/15 even 16 year old should be having sex with a much older man - regardless of the circumstances that bring it about. It is quite obvious that such men are abusers, including Polanski. These cases are horrible, always but they do vary in the degree of awfulness because of the nature and length of time that the abuse continues.

[alienlovechild 75]

Still amazing to me that Smart didn't tell police she had been kidnapped when she was confronted by them. She must have been throughly brainwashed by that pervert.