Elizabeth Smart

I already had compassion for them, but I think it also gave me a greater compassion and a greater understanding of

for what they go through and to feel how, you know, we call our system in America, our justice system, but it's not really justice.

It's just a legal system.

I mean, someone told me that, like, I wish I could take credit for that, but...

I can't.

Someone told me, you know, we have a legal system.

We don't have a justice system.

Because can you ever really replace what's been taken after you've been raped, after you've been kidnapped, after you've been abused?

Can you ever really fix that?

Can you ever really receive true, you know, restitution or compensation or have that piece of you given back, your life go back to the way it was before?

You really can't.

And so I feel like it just made me feel even more passionate about doing everything I'm doing now.

Is there advice or anything that you tell other survivors whose perpetrators either didn't get arrested at all, didn't serve a day in jail or got out?

Is there anything that you tell people on how they can feel safe again?

I mean, because I would imagine it feels violating all over to have to have to worry, to have to even think like, are they going to come back for me?

The fact that you had to like think about where you're living and your security system to me is going through all of it again and in a new way.

So how do you advise those people who come forward to you who never got that of how do you feel safe?

I mean, first of all, I think it's important to have a support group.

And, you know, I think, I mean, like I'm a huge fan of therapy because I, like my initial reaction is to say, trust your gut, you know, do things that make you feel safe.

If you don't feel safe, leave or, you know, make sure you have a way to leave.