Barzee, who helped abduct Smart in 2002, is living near an elementary school in Salt Lake City. Smart criticizes the decision and calls for greater precautions to protect children from individuals with a history of child abuse and sexual violence.
Wanda Barzee , 73, a woman who helped kidnap Elizabeth Smart in 2002, is living several blocks from a Salt Lake City elementary school following her release from prison in September, according to Utah's sex-offender registry. Barzee is listed in the registry as living in an apartment near the school after her initial placement in a halfway house. She was released on parole much earlier than anticipated, despite her refusal to cooperate with mental health professionals while incarcerated.
Federal probation officers did not return a telephone message Monday seeking comment about the living arrangement for Barzee near Parkview Elementary School. Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2010 after pleading guilty to helping her husband, street preacher Brian David Mitchell, abduct Smart at knifepoint when she was 14 and repeatedly rape her. Smart, now 31, has become a child safety advocate and is married with three young children. She said in a statement that people with a history of child abuse and sexual violence such as Barzee shouldn't be allowed to live close to schools. 'Every possible caution and protection should be taken when it comes to protecting our children. Whether a person is deemed a current threat or if they have a history of child abuse, neglect, sexual violence, etc., prudent measures should be taken, including housing them as far away as possible from schools, families and community centers,' Smart said. Smart previously criticized Barzee's release, which came more than five years earlier than expected after the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole determined it had miscalculated the time Barzee was required to serve in prison
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping Wanda Barzee School Safety Child Protection
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