Elizabeth Smart
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
And finally, the thought just came to me was that... Because he had said that we were now married.
We were now man and wife.
Every reason, every excuse that I had given him as to why this wasn't okay, why this wasn't legal, he came back and he keeps saying, it's time to consummate our marriage.
It's time to consummate our marriage.
And that, I mean, that just...
I didn't, first of all, I didn't know what it meant.
Then the thought just hit me.
He's going to rape me.
That's what it means.
He's going to rape me.
And there's not a thing I can do about it.
There's nothing that's going to stop him.
He's a man.
He's bigger than me.
He's stronger than me.
Like I literally cannot save myself right now.
And I think every victim would tell you that it's devastating on pretty much every level you can think of.
I mean, physically, I was a virgin.
I hadn't even hit puberty yet.
I hadn't even had a period yet.