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.”

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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 by Jeffrey Epstein at 17.

Smart was three years younger than Giuffre at that point when she was kidnapped at knifepoint in her bedroom by Bryan David Mitchell while her little sister pretended to be asleep. She was then held captive for nine months and repeatedly raped multiple times a day by Mitchell with the help of his wife, Wanda Barzee.

“I just felt more needed to be done,” Smart added. “And this case, where these lists of names were going to be released and then they’re not. And then just so much back and forth, I just felt like this is not fair. This is not right. It shouldn’t matter what your background is. You shouldn’t be able to hide.”

It’s heartbreaking Giuffre didn’t get same support as me: Survivor

Smart said her upbringing played a role in how some viewed her situation as opposed to Giuffre.

Giuffre grew up in Florida but had a troubled childhood that reportedly included being abused by a family friend.

“I feel like maybe because it looked like I came from a really nice upper-class family. I think that could have played a role in why people maybe believed my story and supported me a bit more than Virginia,” Smart said.

But she added that “kids are kids, no matter who their families are.”