Time after time, America has proven to her citizens that wealth influences law and privilege can get criminals a lot further than we once thought. 18 months ago, a young woman was sexually assaulted behind a dumpster at Stanford University. Two students pulled Rapist Brock Turner off of her unconscious body and held him at the scene of the crime until the police arrived.
This should have been an open and shut case. Rapist Brock Turner was caught in the act of raping an unconscious woman and was immediately arrested. People have been sent to jail on evidence alone, and Rapist Brock Turner was actually caught in the act. He was charged with three felonies that could total up to 14 years in jail and make him be registered as a sex offender. We thought a rapist would be put behind bars and suffer for once.
And then the justice system failed us again. According to the judge who heard the case, prison would have a "severe impact" on Rapist Brock Turner and new reports say that he will spend his time in jail in isolation for fear of this safety. His mother even wrote a letter to the judge saying "I beg of you, please don’t send him to jail/prison. Look at him. He won’t survive it. He will be damaged forever and I fear he would be a major target. Stanford boy, college kid, college athlete — all the publicity." She never mentioned how the rape would hurt the victim.
Rapist Turner's father wrote an even worse letter to the judge describing how his son's life was destroyed by "only 20 minutes of action," and how he is barely eating anything at all, torn up by the verdict. Life is so hard when you are a convicted rapist. Despite the fact that he will only be doing six months (as opposed to 14 years) it is still so difficult. Some sources say his sentence might be cut down to three months if he has good behavior.
This man monster raped an unconscious, 23-year-old woman, behind a dumpster. It doesn't matter what she was wearing or what her blood alcohol content was that night, both of which were brought up during the trial. Despite her 12-page dictation of her experience being raped and the awful aftermath, the only person the judge was worried about was the convicted felon.
There are so many things wrong with this case, it is hard to calmly put them all into one article. From the letters the rapist's family and friends wrote to the fact it took three years for Rapist Turner's mug shot to be forcibly released, it has left America angry and shaking its head. If anyone had a hard time believing America's Rape Culture, it is hard to deny it now.
There are a few victories in this terrifying case. USA Swimming has banned Rapist Turner from ever competing and Stanford has expelled him from campus. He will never be allowed to swim competitively and will never become a doctor. On top of that, the rage this court case has given the general public will hopefully improve the court's system to better aid sexual assault victims. Unlikely, but we can hope.
To the sexual assault victim, I am so sorry. My heart aches for the injustice you have suffered and the pain you will carry for the rest of your life because of the actions of a spoiled brat. People will say that it is the woman's fault for drinking or dressing "promiscuously" but in the end, it is always the rapist who will be at fault. The court system isn't perfect in the least bit, but when a country bands together in a common outcry like this one, change is right around the corner.
