A New York mother who survived being stabbed 22 times inside her own apartment was so devastated by her attacker’s prison sentence that she became physically sick outside the courtroom, as supporters blasted the punishment as nowhere near enough for a crime that nearly cost her life.
Kaitlynn Berman, 23, faced Christopher Joseph in Bronx Supreme Court on Wednesday, November 4, more than a year after he repeatedly stabbed her while her 3-year-old daughter was just one room away.
Joseph, also 23, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree attempted murder in September.
But for Berman, who spent 48 days hospitalized and continues to suffer permanent injuries, the sentence brought anger rather than relief.
“We are not satisfied. She is not satisfied, so overwhelmed that she threw up,” victim advocate Bishop Boyde Singletary told NBC New York outside the courthouse.
The attack unfolded March 22, 2025, inside Berman’s apartment on East 225th Street in the Bronx’s Wakefield neighborhood.
According to Berman, she had been watching a friend’s cat when Joseph, who was dating that friend, arrived to retrieve the animal.
What began as an ordinary visit quickly turned frightening.
Berman previously told News 12 that Joseph entered her home and claimed his girlfriend had given him permission to have sex with her. When Berman rejected him, the situation escalated.
Joseph eventually attacked her with a kitchen knife, repeatedly stabbing her in the face, neck, hands and abdomen.
Her young daughter was in the next room as the violence unfolded.
Prosecutors said Joseph stabbed Berman approximately 20 times, while Berman and her advocates have consistently described 22 wounds.
The attack left her critically injured, and Joseph fled with her cellphone and approximately $5,700 in cash, according to police accounts.
Officers arrested him shortly afterward at a nearby subway station, where authorities said he was covered in blood.
Berman was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, where she remained for 48 days and underwent three surgeries and multiple blood transfusions.
Although doctors saved her life, the physical and emotional consequences have been devastating.
Her injuries left her with permanent nerve damage in both hands, impaired movement and pain on the right side of her face, and significant vision problems.
She has also described suffering from post-traumatic stress and a continuing fear of being alone in public.
The injuries have limited her ability to work, care for herself independently and enjoy the ordinary activities she once took for granted.
Yet her ordeal did not end when Joseph was arrested.
In December 2025, Joseph was released without bail after a judge determined that prosecutors had failed to meet a required procedural deadline.
The decision left Berman terrified that the man accused of nearly killing her was once again free.
“I don’t go outside by myself,” she told News 12 during an earlier interview. “I just feel like something is going to happen every time I’m outside.”
After months of legal proceedings and delays, Joseph pleaded guilty on September 16, 2026, admitting that he had attempted to kill Berman.
Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence, while his defense attorneys argued for a shorter term.
Ultimately, Bronx Supreme Court Justice Timothy Lewis sentenced Joseph to eight and a half years behind bars, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
The judge also issued an order of protection prohibiting Joseph from contacting Berman.
Before the sentence was imposed, Berman delivered an emotional victim impact statement, confronting the man who had nearly ended her life.
“You failed to take my life, and you won’t take away my future,” she told him.
Joseph reportedly showed little reaction during her statement and declined an opportunity to address the courtroom.
Outside, Berman’s supporters expressed outrage over the punishment, arguing that the sentence failed to reflect the severity of the attack and its lasting consequences.
“This man, this monster, Christopher Joseph, should be doing 22 years to life — one year for each stabbing,” Singletary said.
He described the damage Berman continues to endure, including chronic pain, emotional trauma and the loss of independence.
“Her life is never the same,” he added.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark acknowledged the seriousness of the crime, emphasizing that Joseph had attacked a woman who knew and trusted him inside her own home.
“Fortunately, the victim survived this vicious attack,” Clark said. “With this sentence, I hope she can heal from this life-changing encounter.”
Berman’s supporters, however, say they intend to push for a review of the sentence and contact the district attorney’s office to explore whether any further legal action is possible.
Whether the sentence can be changed remains uncertain, particularly because it followed a negotiated guilty plea.
For Berman, the battle now extends beyond the courtroom.
She continues living with physical injuries and psychological trauma while trying to rebuild her life and provide a sense of security for her daughter.
And although Joseph is finally headed to prison, the young mother says the consequences of his actions will remain with her long after his sentence is over.
