New York Woman Stabbed 22 Times Sees Attacker Sentenced to 8½ Years; Victim Breaks Down in Court
BRONX, New York — Kaitlynn Berman, 23, vomited and broke down in Bronx Supreme Court on November 4 as Christopher Joseph, the man who stabbed her about 22 times in her home last year, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.
According to the Bronx District Attorney's Office, on March 22, 2025, Berman was pet-sitting a friend's cat at her apartment on East 225th Street in the Wakefield neighborhood when Joseph, her friend's boyfriend, came to collect the animal. Prosecutors said that after she rebuffed his advances, Joseph attacked her with a knife, stabbing her in the face, neck, hands and abdomen while her 3-year-old daughter was in the next room. Berman spent 48 days at Jacobi Hospital, underwent three surgeries and multiple blood transfusions, and was left with permanent nerve damage to her hands and face.
Joseph was released without bail in December 2025 after prosecutors missed a procedural deadline in the case. On September 16 this year, he pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence, while the defence asked for five years.
Justice Timothy Lewis said the eight-and-a-half-year sentence reflected the fact that Joseph is still a relatively young man who may turn his life around after release. Lewis also ordered five years of post-release supervision and issued an order of protection barring Joseph from contacting the victim.
Speaking outside the courthouse, Berman called the sentence far too light, noting that Joseph stabbed her more times than the number of years he was sentenced to. Her supporters said they would push for the sentence to be challenged and reviewed.
Source: Bronx District Attorney's Office
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约市（资料图，本站档案图）。 / Photo: New York City (file photo, GSM archive).
