Virginia Giuffre's death 'like a wake-up call' for me, said kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart

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( NewsNation ) — A child safety advocate and author says Virginia Giuffre’s death earlier this year was a watershed moment that made her want to open up about her kidnapping experience.

“I would say right from the start, I was invested in this case, and I have followed it,” Elizabeth Smart told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield about the Epstein case while appearing on Monday’s “Banfield.” “I felt like the connection for me was really pretty apparent from the start.”

Giuffre was one of the earliest and most prominent survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse . She previously alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew