The internet has recently been flooded with articles about Brock Turner, a student at Stanford who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. The focus in the media seems to be on the assaulter. Sure. he's an All-American swimmer. Yeah, he's a talented freshman. True, this will change his life for the worse. That does NOT excuse the fact that he took advantage of a woman who was drunk and unconscious. That does NOT change the fact that he is getting a sentence of six months when he was originally facing 14 years. Great, he's an athlete. But he also physically and emotionally damaged a young woman with an equally bright future by deciding that he had a right to her body when her consent was not even an option.
Turner has claimed that his victim consented to his actions. While I find this hard to believe, let's examine what it means to give consent in the first place. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network defines consent as "an agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity." It also must be enthusiastic and ongoing as sexual activities continue. Consent CANNOT be received if the person is below the age of consent, if someone is being pressured into sexual activity, assuming that sexual activity is OK because it happened before, if there is a power imbalance (ex. sex with a teacher or another authority figure), and/or if the person is intoxicated by drugs or alcohol. That's right. If someone is heavily under the influence, they are not able to give real consent. So either way his "twenty minutes of action" was ILLEGAL.
While the mainstream media seems to be focusing on "poor" Brock and his hard times ahead, why don't we focus on the victim. The woman who will have to deal with the emotional consequences of his actions for the rest of her life and other women like her. I recently watched the documentary "The Hunting Ground." The documentary follows two young women as they work to bring light to the staggering statistics and instances of rape and sexual assault on college campuses. The film reflects on accounts of several different young women and their experiences not only dealing with their assault but also with the way campus administration reacted when they came to them for help. They talked about how instead of being immediately helped and taken seriously, they were questioned about their clothing and alcohol consumption. They were silenced. The privacy and use of their bodies were taken from them and then their voices. Not only are these women and men dealing with a traumatic experience, but they often saw the perpetrator walk away with warnings, suspension, or a fine. The universities wanted to sweep the problem under the rug, especially when it involved their athletic departments.
Now we see that Brock Turner is in the process of creating a program for students that will speak out against college drinking and the "sexual promiscuity that goes along with that." How about a program that discusses rape and the consequences of sexual assault not only for the attacker but also for the victim. How about a program that emphasizes that fact that women are not objects and that sex is never owed to anyone. How about a program that examines the effects of rape culture on our society and focuses on reversing those effects. Maybe alcohol was a factor, but it is certainly not an excuse. Turner was in enough control to make a clear-cut choice, and that choice was to drag this woman behind a dumpster and to use her unconscious body for his own pleasure without her consent or even her knowledge. These are not the actions of some kind of sports hero. These are not the actions of a boy who deserves pity. These are the actions of a CRIMINAL.
Not only are his actions unacceptable, but the way the legal system and the media have portrayed the case are horrendous. Turner was unanimously convicted of three felonies and he is only going to prison for six months because it would have a "severe impact" on him, according to the judge. News sources have consistently used his yearbook photo instead of his mugshot. Articles often describe his athletic career before describing the fact that he digitally raped a woman behind a dumpster. It is coverage and sentencing like this that silences survivors of sexual assault even more.
That is why her letter to Turner is so important. In case you were unaware, the survivor of this assault read a letter to Brock at the trial, giving herself a voice as well as to other women who have not been able to vocalize their experiences with rape and sexual assault. It is bravery like this letter and the creation of projects like "The Hunting Ground" that spread awareness and really make a difference in creating change in the way that rape and sexual violence are treated in our society. The letter is graphic, but it should be read by as many people as possible as it delivers an important message while also giving a voice to someone who's point of view may have been ignored otherwise.
Click here for the full letter
Click here to hear the letter read by a CNN new anchor
