A Connecticut man is speaking out about his stepmom’s alleged abuse and his daring escape as prosecutors claim she held him captive for more than 20 years. In a statement provided to PEOPLE through the organization Survivors Say, the 32-year-old man asks to be identified as “S” and claims he was “held prisoner” for over 20 years by his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan.
S notes that he is no longer going by the name he was born with, instead choosing a new name as part of his effort to “reclaim control over my life and my future.” Sullivan, 56, was arrested last month on accusations of holding her stepson captive since he was 11, the Waterbury Police Department said in a statement. The arrest came after police say Sullivan’s stepson started a fire at the family’s Waterbury, Conn., home on Feb. 17 in an effort to escape her alleged abuse.
“I am a survivor of more than 20 years of captivity and domestic abuse,” S writes. “I was held prisoner in my home from the time I was taken out of the fourth grade at age 11 until two months ago at age 31 when I purposely set the fire that helped set me free.” “I am speaking out today to begin the process of reclaiming my life and to have my say in how my story is told,” the man said, adding that he feels “much better and stronger” than he did when emergency workers pulled him from his stepmother’s burning home last month.
The 32-year-old man went on to thank first responders and health care professionals who have helped take care of him since the mid-February incident. The man’s statement this week comes a little more than a month after Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo announced Sullivan’s arrest, calling the victim’s suffering “heartbreaking and unimaginable,” PEOPLE previously reported.
Sullivan was charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree, according to officials at the Waterbury Police Department. The alleged victim weighed 68 pounds when first responders recovered him from Sullivan’s home, according to local NBC Connecticut. An arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE last month showed authorities describing Sullivan’s abuse, alleging her stepson was left to eat out of the trash and drink from the toilet.
PEOPLE reached out to Sullivan’s attorney Tuesday but did not receive a response. She is currently out on a $300,000 bond and due back in court on April 22.
The full text of the statement is below:
“Please call me ‘S.’ This is not the name given to me by my parents when I was born. I am choosing a new name for myself, and I will use that name as I reclaim control over my life and my future. My name is my choice, and it is the first of many choices I will make for myself now that I am free.
“I am a survivor of more than 20 years of captivity and domestic abuse. I was held prisoner in my home from the time I was taken out of the fourth grade at age 11 until two months ago at age 31 when I purposely set the fire that helped set me free.
“I am speaking out today to begin the process of reclaiming my life and to have my say in how my story is told.
“I am much better and stronger than I was the day the first responders carried me out of my home. I am beyond grateful for the care I have received since then. To all the health care professionals who have helped and nurtured me, thank you. In addition to all of your care, I appreciated the chance to have my first ever birthday party to celebrate turning 32.
“I also want to thank the first responders, the law enforcement investigators and everyone who is working to hold those responsible for my abuse accountable. Thank you to everyone at Safe Haven Waterbury and everyone who has given to the GoFundMe page that will help cover some of the overwhelming expenses I will face in the weeks, months and years to come.
“I am grateful to the conservator and my attorney, who will help guide me through the legal process ahead. They have been invaluable to me, and I am grateful for their tireless support.
“Much has already been said that tells part of the story of the abuse I endured. Someday, perhaps my whole story will be told.
“I ask everyone involved in my story to fully cooperate with the authorities who are helping me seek justice for these crimes. I also ask the public and the media to respect those investigations and my privacy as this process plays out. This isn’t just a story. It’s my life.
“Thank you all for your thoughts and messages, your support and your continued prayers as I recover. Please forward any inquiries about my recovery, requests for information or interviews, or the process ahead to David Guarino at Survivors Say, who has volunteered to serve as my spokesman.
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