In 2016, a case arose on the west coast. A 19-year-old freshman at Stanford University, Brock Turner was accused, tried and eventually convicted of three of the five original counts of felony rape.
Turner attacked an unidentified 23-year-old female who was not a student of the university. Bicyclists found hardly clothed with Turner on top of her, mid-attack, outside. After separating and defusing the situation, the men called the police and held Turner until proper officials arrived.
After the conviction and extremely light sentence handed to Brock Turner, his father claimed his son’s life has now been ruined by his six-month jail sentence for his “20 minutes of action.” For three counts of felony rape, Brock Turner was given six months of jail time, and three years of probation, for three counts of felony rape. Felony.
If you have not read this until now, please take the time to read the 7,244-word statement from the victim of this attack. Read how her life has forever changed, just as every sexual assault victim has a huge alteration to his or her life post attack. The victim’s statement is here.
Now, as 2017 is getting closer to an end, Brock Turner has filed an appeal of his rape charges. He has asked for a retrial. He has asked for his conviction to go away and to act as if he never raped that woman. He is asking to be let off the hook more than he already has been. The maximum sentence for felony rape is fourteen years in prison. Turner got six months. He served three. How is that justice? It isn’t.
During his original trial, Turner was made out to be a champion swimmer, scholastic student and a person who made a mistake, and all of that may be true, but something that can never change and will never change is the fact that Brock Turner is a rapist. He was once someone who could swim fast. He once was someone who had a brilliant future ahead of him. He once was someone who made good decisions, but the second he became belligerently drunk and raped a woman made him a rapist who could swim fast, and he will never be anything more than that.
To the victim of this assault, I apologize that our legal system has failed you.
To the victim of this assault, I apologize that this has been handled in your favor.
To the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault all over the nation, all over the globe, I apologize that scum like Brock Turner still walks this planet.
I apologize that you do not feel safe as your attacker has a chance of walking away free from their actions. I hope that in the future we can serve justice to those who have hurt you, physically, mentally, verbally, and emotionally.
Brock Turner, you may have once had a career and had a bright future ahead of you, but you are nothing more than a rapist, and you will never be anything else.
If by chance the legal system gives you yet another break, which I foresee will happen since you haven’t faced any of your consequences from your actions, I hope one day you can feel the sorrow the woman you raped has felt ever since January 16, 2016.
When you walk the streets of the Earth after getting your appeal of this case, I hope people recognize you for what you’ve done. I hope you live in fear the way thousands of individuals do after they’ve been attacked. I hope you know, you are a rapist, and you will never be anything different.
