Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Abigail Hernandez Victim Impact Statement at the Sentencing of Nathaniel Kibby

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Abigail Hernandez (pictured left) was kidnapped at the age of 14 by Nathaniel Kibby during 2013. After 9 months of captivity, Kibby released Abigail. After initially lying (due to fear) about her abductor's identity, Abigail eventually revealed that Kibby was the one who kidnapped her. 
"I was told that I would have to give a victim impact statement and that I would have my time in court to talk.

It seems like forever - two years - have gone by, both fast and slow, in different senses. But I often think about Kibby and what he did affects my life on a day-to-day basis. My name does not mean the same thing anymore that it did before Oct 9 [2013]. I am attending school and I'm afraid to let anybody know what my last name is. Nobody knows what my last name is.

I fall asleep thinking about you. And, some people might call you a monster but I've always looked at you as human. And I want you to know that even though life became a lot harder after that, that I still forgive you.

I wish things didn't have to work in the way that they do but I need to be safe and so does my family. And I want you to know: I did not do this to you. I did not put you in prison. You put yourself in prison, so I can't carry that blame on my shoulders when it is simply not true that I put you in prison. When you decided to point that gun at me, that was not my choice. It was not my choice to go to your house. It was not my choice for you to rape me. It was not my choice for you to threaten me. You did all that yourself.

I don't want to talk down on you and I hope don't think that I am, I am just telling you the truth because sometimes I feel like I wear this whole thing like a millstone around my ankle. Sometimes I still feel like I'm chained, and sometimes I don't feel like I'm completely free. There are certain aspects of my freedom that I can never get back. 

But in the same aspect I want you to know that I appreciate my freedom because of you and that I enjoy and appreciate life because of you. I never look at sunshine in the same way. I never think about fresh air in the same way. So, I also just want to thank you for giving me my freedom back."

(source)

1 comment:

  1. Wow. So beautiful. Good luck Abigail. You're a strong beautiful and admirable woman. Continue to keep your head up!

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