_Sophia Gonzalez is a sophomore journalism student at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about social justice issues for The Maneater._
#####_The following column contains sensitive material regarding sexual assault._#####
About 16 years ago, Elizabeth Smart was forced to leave her home at knifepoint in Salt Lake City. Smart was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell along with his wife Wanda Barzee. The then-14-year-old Smart found herself in the middle of the woods and was sexually assaulted almost everyday for 9 months until her rescue. Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison while Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Barzee is now 72 years old and despite her failure to uphold the requirements of her court ruling, she managed to be released from prison earlier than expected.
Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper Wanda Barzee was released from prison early for good behavior, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Barzee and Mitchell were responsible for the kidnapping and capture of Smart in 2002. The court ruled that Barzee would receive the maximum amount of time behind bars for aggravated kidnapping after her initial sentence. She was originally going to be in prison for 180 months with 60 months of supervision following her prison time, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
As a young toddler I remember hearing Smart’s name in whispers at the dinner table. I didn’t know who she was or what had happened to her and I am so glad that I didn’t find out until I was older.
After hearing the words “stranger danger” and sitting through countless self defense presentations, I began to realize that a girl no different than me had been kidnapped and brutally assaulted.
It haunted me to think that her life would never be the same. A young girl who deserved a normal life was robbed of 9 months that she would never get back. Upon hearing that Mitchell was put in prison for life put me at some ease, however Barzee’s sentence left me feeling quite uneasy. How could someone be sentenced to only 15 years in prison when they changed the entire life of one person?
People can potentially experience negative psychological effects after sexual assault according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Victims have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, flashbacks and depression. Sexual assault victims are also prone to suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm.
The life of a woman who has experienced sexual assault can be changed forever. A woman should not be able to alter the life of another and get away with it.
“It is incomprehensible how someone who has not cooperated with her mental-health evaluations or risk assessments and someone who did not show up to her own parole hearing can be released into our community,” Smart said the New York Post.
Barzee’s verbal encouragement of the assault should be considered assault in itself. Barzee sat and watched a young girl be raped without making any effort to help the situation. Even though she did not physically rape Smart herself, she should have similar consequences because of her involvement and knowledge of the assault.
While her consequences did not initially correspond with her actions, they surely stray further from the sentence that she deserved.
The fact that Barzee was released without meeting the initial requirement of her sentence shows the court system has a lot of work to do when protecting women from sexual assault. Even though Barzee didn’t physically commit the act of sexual assault, she should have received a similar sentence to her husband.
The longest sentence for a second degree felony in Utah is 15 years, which is the total time the court was able to grant for her crime.
According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, it is unusual for Utah to grant prison time done in another state. Barzee completed most of her sentence in Texas. Barzee was eventually given credit for her federal time in prison. A law should be passed in the state of Utah that allows cases that also include sexual assault to be viewed differently. Barzee was given the maximum sentence, but the sentence isn’t long enough. If her case were viewed as seriously as Mitchell’s she would have been put in prison for life.
Since she did not physically commit the act, the court did not have the power to put her behind bars for the same amount of time as Mitchell even though she encouraged the sexual assault. If there was a law that allowed the court to view their cases in the same way, Barzee could receive more time and be less of a danger to society.
Any crime that involves the encouragement of sexual assault during the action should be viewed just as seriously as the act itself.
She was a witness whose words only encouraged a crime that changed the life of a young girl forever. Barzee took part in robbing a teen of a normal life.
Women can be protected more effectively if people people who commit the crime of sexual assault can be put behind bars more effectively.
Encouragement of sexual assault while it is happening should legally amount to the same time in prison as the act itself. The fact that a law like this does not exist is proof that there is more room to grow when protecting women against sexual assault.
“I don’t think you can just kidnap a 14-year-old girl and, you know, not only sit by her while she’s being raped, but encourage the rapist to continue. … Then just at the end of it say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and really mean it,” Smart said to the New York Post.