A young mother who suffered 22 stab wounds at the hands of her attacker has sharply criticized a Bronx judge for imposing what she described as a "very, very light" sentence. Kaitlynn Berman, 23, expressed her distress, stating that the eight-and-a-half-year prison term given to Christopher Joseph was inadequate given the severity of the March 2025 attack.
"He stabbed me more times than the years he was sentenced for," Berman stated in an interview. She was left with permanent nerve damage to her hands and face following the assault. Her 3-year-old daughter was in an adjacent room during the attack but was unharmed.
Joseph, who was 23 at the time, reportedly attacked Berman after she rebuffed his advances. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the second degree in September. The Bronx District Attorney's office had requested a 10-year sentence, while Joseph's defense sought five years.
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Timothy Lewis imposed the 8.5-year sentence, citing Joseph's youth and the possibility of rehabilitation. "The sentence of 8.5 years reflects the fact that you’re still a relatively young man," the judge said, according to a transcript. "I’m only hopeful that you find a way to become a different person and to do something positive when you get out."
However, Berman dismissed the judge's remarks, calling Joseph "a monster" and emphasizing that his actions warranted harsher consequences. "I think it doesn’t matter if you have time to change your life around. I think it matters of what you already did. You need to suffer the consequences," she said. She noted that she continues to suffer daily trauma from the attack and believes Joseph "got off easy."