For a little over a week now, social media and news stations all over the United States have been exploding with stories about Brock Turner. For those who have no idea who Brock Turner is, Turner is an ex-Stanford student who sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman when she was too drunk to know what was happening.
There has been outrage sparking for every subject surrounding the case — particularly the fact that he was given an extremely light sentence (six months jail time, probation and being a registered sex offender), and the fact that everyone continues to call him the Stanford swimmer who just happened to make a wrong choice, rather than acknowledge the fact that he deserves much harsher names.
This case is one of many. The judge gave a lighter sentence, stating, "A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. I think he will not be a danger to others." The prison sentence might have a severe impact on someone who committed a severe crime — but what about the impact on the victim? The pain and humiliation, anger and depression, that she will feel for possibly the rest of her life?
The justice system has almost always failed victims of sexual assault cases, and it is apparent with this case that we are not past it. The only time these stories seem to receive big time news coverage is when it involves male college students sexually assaulting a drunk female or when a grown teacher manages to "seduce" her male students. The language used for each case is vastly different while both are serious cases of sexual assault.
In another recent event, "a Houston-area teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy" has turned herself in to the authorities. The language of the article is already different, starting from the very beginning. A 24-year-old having sexual relations with a 13-year-old is statutory rape. It is not sex. Yet the story is written as if the boy will have no repercussions later in his life from being in a relationship with his 24-year-old teacher. No one seems to care that it is rape.
One comment on the news story states, "The teenager got sex daily from a beautiful woman. Oh the horror!" It is horrifying. It's horrifying to know that people think a child should be able to have sex with a grown woman. And it's horrifying to know that if he does have any say as to whether he gave his consent, he can't say it without being ridiculed.
However, in this case, the woman is already in custody with a bond at $100,000. Her sentence is unknown. However, it would be unsurprising if she had a longer sentence than Brock Turner, and so many other athletic male rapists.
In August 2012, a girl in high school was sexually assaulted by two fellow high school males. These high schoolers were Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond, two football players who raped a 16-year-old girl. This case is the Steubenville High School rape case, where the victim had videos and pictures taken of her for at least six hours in which she could not remember what was happening to her.
Richmond served one year for the rape, while Mays served two for rape and distributing child pornography. While it was said that whether or not the boys would be registered sex offenders would be stated after they were 21, there do not seem to be any recent developments in the punishment of the two.
Anyone who can read these stories and think that there is not a problem in the way our justice system handles sexual assault cases is part of the problem. There are cases like this happening all the time around us, and we never hear of them in the mainstream media or find out what happens in the end. Too many people are too concerned with how the rapist's life might be ruined, regardless of the life ruined with sexual assault.
These victims continue to receive no representation, no empathetic story on how their life is ruined by the choices of others. While social media tends to defend these victims more than any judge, the mainstream media lets us know where they stand when they speak of the victim only to say that the victim was too drunk to remember what happened that night.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, please reach out to the Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.
