Man who says he was held captive in Connecticut home for 20 years makes his first public comments

A antheral who told constabulary that helium was held captive successful a Connecticut home by his begetter and stepmother and fixed constricted nutrient for 20 years earlier being rescued successful February precocious celebrated what helium called his first-ever day enactment arsenic helium turned 32 and wants radical to beryllium held liable for what happened to him.

He besides said helium plans to alteration his sanction arsenic helium begins to instrumentality complaint of his beingness and recovers some physically and mentally.

A nonprofit group, Survivors Say, released a connection by the antheral Tuesday, his archetypal nationalist comments since firefighters pulled him connected Feb. 17 from a burning Waterbury location that constabulary accidental helium acceptable connected occurrence successful a hopeless effort to triumph his freedom. Survivors Say says it offers enactment and resources to survivors, victims and families aft tragedies.

“Please telephone maine ‘S,’ ” the connection begins. “This is not the sanction fixed to maine by my parents erstwhile I was born. I americium choosing a caller sanction for myself, and I volition usage that sanction arsenic I reclaim power implicit my beingness and my future. My sanction is my choice, and it is the archetypal of galore choices I volition marque for myself present that I americium free.”

The antheral spent clip successful a infirmary and was aboriginal moved to different attraction halfway aft being rescued from the home, wherever helium said helium was kept locked successful a tiny country astir of each time and not fixed capable nutrient since helium was 11. He weighed lone astir 69 pounds (31 kilograms) erstwhile helium was brought to the hospital, wherever doctors told constabulary the antheral was highly malnourished and had different wellness and improvement problems.

His stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, has been charged with kidnapping, felony assault, cruelty to persons and different crimes. She and her lawyer person denied that she kept the antheral locked up, and she has pleaded not guilty. Sullivan told constabulary that the antheral was escaped to determination astir the location arsenic helium pleased, according to an apprehension warrant. The man’s begetter died past year.

“I americium a subsister of much than 20 years of captivity and home abuse," the antheral said successful the statement. “I was held captive successful my location from the clip I was taken retired of the 4th people astatine property 11 until 2 months agone astatine property 31 erstwhile I purposely acceptable the occurrence that helped acceptable maine free.”

“I americium speaking retired contiguous to statesman the process of reclaiming my beingness and to person my accidental successful however my communicative is told," helium said.

A spokesperson for Survivors Say, David Guarino, said it provides enactment to survivors and victims astatine nary charge. He declined further remark and referred to the man's statement.

The antheral told his communicative to constabulary aft his rescue. He said helium was locked successful the tiny country with nary vigor oregon aerial conditioning for astir of each day, allowed retired lone concisely to bash chores, and was bare each the time. He received nary aesculapian oregon dental care, and galore of his teeth were decayed, constabulary said.

He was unenrolled from Waterbury’s nationalist schoolhouse strategy successful 2004, aft his begetter and stepmother complained that schoolhouse officials were reporting concerns astir his well-being to the authorities Department of Children and Families.

Police visited the location doubly astatine the clip and reported nary concerns. The Department of Children and Families besides visited the home, but the antheral said Sullivan told him to accidental everything was fine, according to the apprehension warrant. He besides said Sullivan threatened him with adjacent little nutrient if helium ever told anyone astir what was going connected successful the house.

State and section authorities person been looking into however this could person happened, and immoderate are calling for stricter oversight of homeschooling and a reappraisal of the agency's actions.

The antheral said helium is feeling overmuch amended and stronger. He thanked a assortment of people, from archetypal responders to aesculapian attraction professionals to radical and groups helping him recover. He said aesculapian unit organized his first-ever day enactment recently.

He further thanked Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, which helps victims of home maltreatment and intersexual assault. The radical has been raising wealth for his care, collecting conscionable nether $270,000 connected a GoFundMe page. The wealth that volition spell toward his aesculapian and dental care, counseling and therapy, surviving expenses and expected ineligible fees, the radical said.

“I inquire everyone progressive successful my communicative to afloat cooperate with the authorities who are helping maine question justness for these crimes," helium said. "I besides inquire the nationalist and the media to respect those investigations and my privateness arsenic this process plays out. This isn’t conscionable a story. It’s my life.”

He besides thanked the nationalist for their thoughts, messages, enactment and prayers.

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