An American woman imprisoned for a murder at the age of 16, when she was forced into prostitution, was released Wednesday morning, prison authorities in Tennessee said.
Forced to prostitute
"Early this morning, Cyntoia Denise Brown was released from the Tennessee Women's Prison," the prison authorities said in a statement. Cyntoia Brown, who has received the support of singer Rihanna or actress Ashley Judd, was sentenced to life in 2006 for killing a man in her forties when she was forced into prostitution. At her trial, she had admitted the murder. But she had explained that she lived at the time a nightmare under the influence of a man who forced her to prostitute herself. She had made sure she had panicked the day of the murder, arriving at a client who owned many weapons at home.
A documentary in 2011 about him
Evoking a "tragic and complex" case, Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Haslam announced in January that he was committing his sentence. Cyntoia Brown, now 31, was released after serving 15 years in prison. She will remain on parole until 2029.
Its story was the subject of a documentary in 2011 and several personalities were mobilized to defend it. In addition to Rihanna, reality TV star Kim Kardashian said it was "distressing to see a girl who was sexually trafficked and had the courage to defend herself, to be sentenced to life." On Twitter, basketball player LeBron James welcomed his release.