In January 2015, Stanford freshman Brock Turner was accused of raping a now 23-year-old woman. The two had been drinking at a party. Turner was found by two bicyclists on top of the woman behind a dumpster. She was fully naked, and it was clear what had happened. Turner was found guilty in March this year, and earlier this month he received a short sentence of six months in a county jail.
Everything about this case was unfair. First off, the defense attorney repeatedly degraded the victim who had already been physically and mentally degraded by her attacker. Is this the society we live in? Yes, everyone has the right to due process. It is a lawyer’s job to help their client and win the case. However, in the process of doing so, how can society allow ethics to be pushed aside? It’s unfair to have allowed the defense attorney to further damage the victim with degrading words.
Second, Turner never owned up to what he did. He claimed that it was not his fault because he was drunk. He even claimed that it wasn’t rape because the victim liked it. Turner said that everyone was drinking, so he was drinking too. Fair enough. However, no one else was raping a woman behind a dumpster, so what’s his excuse for that? Oh, yeah, he said that she liked it so it wasn’t rape. If it wasn’t rape, then why did he run when he got caught? Surely, he must have been guilty. Otherwise, he would’ve simply remained calm, and he would have explained himself.
Third, the judge sentence Turner to a short six months in a county jail and three years probation. Yes, you read that correctly. Turner only received six months for committing rape. The judge was way too lenient. He thought that if he received any more jail time, it would have a negative impact on him. Well, he should’ve thought about that before he raped an unconscious woman. Furthermore, the victim is sentenced to a lifetime in a body that she no longer feels comfortable in. What about that impact? How can the judge allow the attacker to be punished less than the victim? Again, how can society allow ethics to be pushed aside?
Fourth, during this case, Turner has been praised for being an athlete. Apparently, being a skilled athlete diminishes the title of rapist. The media has made it seem as though Turner is still a good guy because he is a swimmer. His swim times have been published and news outlets have repeatedly mentioned how great of a swimmer he is. Who cares? What does that have to do with rape? It doesn’t matter what skill a person possesses or what job they have or what club they join or what school they attend. Rape is illegal. Constantly mentioning that Turner is a swimmer when discussing the rape case is like saying, “Turner is a rapist, but he’s a great swimmer so he’s not that bad.” He should not be praised for his accomplishments. There is no correlation between his swimming career and raping a woman. Turner does not deserve to be rewarded with publicity about his swimming skills. It should never have mattered.
I don’t personally know anyone involved in the case. I have only read the facts. Still, it is painful to know that a crime was committed, but a proper punishment was not carried out. The system that is supposed to protect us, failed us. I say us because the outcome of this case reflects the flaws in our society.
In the victim’s statement, she closed by saying, “To girls everywhere, I am with you.” I am with her. We are all together.
