As a girl, I was taught from a very young age that I always have to be careful because other people cannot always be trusted. I was told never to go into bathrooms alone, never to leave a drink unattended, and never to walk alone at night. I heard stories on the news from time to time but always thought that these things could never happen to me.

As I aged into a woman, I began to understand just how serious all these warnings were in order to ensure my safety. In college, rape and sexual assault are extremely common. It sounds sad, right? Parents send their kids off to college thinking they will have an amazing and rewarding experience, but another person could ruin all of that in just moments.

When I first heard of Brock Turner’s case, I was alarmed by all the controversy that surrounded it. I couldn’t understand how such a serious crime could be given such a small punishment. Isn’t the punishment supposed to fit the crime? In this case, it certainly does not. I began seeing posts and videos shared throughout Facebook, and a video of a news anchor breaking down while reading the rape victims letter caught my eye.

According to the letter: Brock Turner was caught by two men with the unconscious victim behind a dumpster. He was thrusting her and had her dress pulled above her head. He had stuck objects inside of her. He tried to escape but was taken down by the men and they called the cops. He later admitted to police officers that he didn’t know the girl, didn’t know her name, and wouldn’t even be able to pick her out of a lineup. He had apparently been trying to “get lucky” with girls all night and even tried kissing the victim's sister before raping her.

But, what is most shocking part of all? The victim awoke with no recollection of what happened to her. No one would tell her what Brock Turner had done to her. She had to put the pieces together herself. The pine needles in her hair and inside of her and the bruises all over her body, all of these things were clues to the mystery of her night. She asked for details and no one told her. When she finally found out the details regarding her rape, she was sitting at her desk at work and read an article that popped up on her news feed. She found out what happened to her just as the rest of the world did. She had to deal with what a monster had done to her months after the event.

According to Brock Turner, the victim liked the sex behind the dumpster because she rubbed his back. She never voiced consent, but only touched his back. The victim was told she could not prove that it was unwanted because she did not remember. But, isn’t being unconscious a sign that it was unwanted? Who can consent to sex if they are passed out? No one can. Brock Turner should know that, and the judge that believed he shouldn’t be punished harshly should be reminded of it.

As a woman, I feel extremely sad and scared that things like this go on every day. I find it heartbreaking that our justice system doesn’t see the importance of giving Brock Turner a harsh sentence. He is a monster. He took away this woman’s innocence. He made her feel as if she didn’t belong in her own skin. He took away her comfort for the rest of her life. He reminded America just how serious of a problem rape is. He reminded everyone that we truly have monsters in this world, and some of them come in the form of a star college athlete.

Kiss your Olympic dreams goodbye, Brock Turner. Sorry, there isn’t a pool in your jail cell.