In January 2015, Brock Turner, a former Stanford swimmer was found behind a dumpster raping a half-naked unconscious woman. He was supposed to face six years in prison for being charged with three different counts of sexual assault, but the judge instead sentenced him to six months at a county jail. The judge felt six years would be “too severe," since Turner had a clean record and had a scholarship for swimming at Stanford. In response to the sentencing, the unnamed victim that sources have been calling Emily Doe, read a tear-jerking letter to Turner in court. The letter explains in full detail all she can remember about the assault and all the events that she heard from others. She shared that last January she arrived at a frat party on Stanford’s campus with her sister, and the next thing she remembers after arriving, was waking up on a gurney in the emergency room. She mentions that she was unaware of the assault that happened because she was intoxicated, but the police informed her that she had been assaulted behind a dumpster. The police told her that two young men discovered the crime when riding their bikes and saw that she was unconscious. As the men rode up on their bikes, Turner ran away in fear of being caught. In her letter, one of the strongest lines she writes states, “This is not a story of another drunk college hookup with poor decision making. Assault is not an accident. Somehow, you still don’t get it. Somehow, you still sound confused."
If the victim’s letter was not traumatizing to read already, Brock’s father wrote a letter for the judge that was found online. Not only did the letter defend Brock’s decisions, but in it he asked the judge to give his son a lesser punishment instead of jail time.
Dan Turner’s letter starts off talking about his son's mental trauma. Is he considering all of the victim’s mental trauma? His son made the choice to go through that emotional trauma. He made the choice to rape someone. He did it to himself. Maybe that trauma his son is facing is guilt. After Dan Turner discusses his son’s mental health, he says, "That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life." Are you kidding? How does time really effect rape? It only takes 5 seconds to kill someone…so should a murderer be judged based on the time it takes to commit the crime? Whether it is a second or 20 minutes, it is still someone forcing their hands and body onto someone else. It is still wrong and it is still deserving of punishment. Also, Dan Turner talks about how his son is going to be a registered sex offender for his entire life and it will affect his interactions. How about the woman he raped? She is going to have to carry this around with her for the rest of her life. She will not be able to walk alone without feeling like she will have to watch her back. What if she wants to have children one day? It could be hard for her to have sex with someone ever again because her mind will always play back to waking up in a gurney and hearing that she was sexually assaulted. Brock Turner chose the life of a registered sex offender. If his life changes, it is his own fault from his own bad decisions.
Although Brock Turner had no criminal past, that does not make him a perfect citizen. In my opinion, he should not have not been let off so easily. He is an example that anyone can become a rapist. And in six months, given the chance, he could potentially assault someone again. Does that mean if it is someone’s first offense they should not be held accountable for their actions? He still committed a crime and he still damaged a girl’s life forever. How can anyone feel safe once Turner is released? How can Emily Doe feel safe once the man who assaulted her is released?
Any victim of rape is not just a victim, they are a survivor. Although women are being victimized during these tragedies, they should not be seen as only victims. This case is just one example of someone who survived sexual assault and overcame a tragic incident. However, when will it end before people realize that some people are not as lucky? If we treat rape as something to brush away then other rapists will think it as okay. This case is a perfect example of how people still do not comprehend what rape is and how it impacts the lives of others. We cannot let felons escape the punishment they deserve. Giving Turner six months proves that rape cases are not taken seriously.
If a person does not say “yes” to being touched or having sex, then it is rape. Rape is rape regardless of the situation and especially if alcohol is involved. If the person is incoherent, it should be more of a reason to not have sex with them and a reason to get them help. Rape is never justified or acceptable.
