If you’ve clicked this link or stumbled upon this article, I can most likely assume this is not your first encounter with the horrid story of Brock Turner. However, if you live under a rock channeling your inner-Patrick Star, I’ll fill you in. I'm also here to inform you of some surprising updates.
Stanford swimmer, Brock Allen Turner, at 19 years of age, was arrested in January of 2015 after sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman behind a dumpster on Stanford University’s campus. While he was originally charged with 5 counts of rape, these were later dropped, and he was convicted of 1) Assault with intent to rape 2) Sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object and 3) Sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object.
The charges, which could have ultimately gathered Turner up to 14 years in prison, only resulted in 6 months imprisonment in a county jail and 3 years probation.
Here are some updates:
As of June 9th, the online records of the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office say he is expected to be released on September 2nd with clean behavior. So no, not 6 months. Slice it in half—only 3 months for intent to rape and sexual assault.
Despite the tragic, heart-wrenching perspective from the victim in a letter to Brock (read here:https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.jcWaQ11eMy#.bnMBExxa3R), the issued statements from Brock’s father, Dan Turner, are shockingly disappointing. He states that his son should not have to go to prison for ’20 minutes of action’. (Read father's statement here:http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/06/father-stanford-university-student-brock-turner-sexual-assault-statement)
Also, his mother, Cathleen, issued a letter to the judge describing the ‘REAL Brock Turner’. Basically, she pleads the entire life-history of Brock and how he’s been such a great son. How her family will never know happiness again. Well, good. You shouldn’t. You shouldn’t know happiness if you are not going to accept the repercussions of your son’s actions. Jail is the verdict. Your son is not exempt because it will negatively effect him— as it’s supposed to. (Read Cathleen’s letter here: http://heavy.com/news/2016/06/carleen-brock-turner-mother-mom-letter-judge-stanford-rape-beautiful-son-parents/)
According to New York Daily News, this is not the first instance where Turner has made women feel uncomfortable. They write, “According to statements from women who encountered the former Stanford swimmer before the sexual assault, Turner was “aggressive” and “touchy” towards them and made uninvited advances at frat parties.”
Finally, USA Swimming banned Brock for life from all USA Swimming sanctioned events, the events you need to qualify for the Olympics. Awesome. Awesome, so that shorter sentence is sure coming in clutch now.
As a woman, I feel failed. Scratch that—as a human being. Sure, Turner did not have a previous record, is a white male, was a star-athlete at a prestigious university, is young (all things Judge Aaron Persky took into consideration before the sentencing) but guess what Turner, you just committed one of the most traumatizing criminal acts, and I’m ashamed that justice isn’t equally distributed.
What strikes me hardest is Dan Turner’s statement. Dan, you failed. You failed to teach your son about the difference between sex and rape—and in this case, potential consequences. You failed to take ownership of the fact that yes, your son committed sexual assault. Do not undermine it.
Another father wrote an open letter to Dan Turner stating, "You love your son and you should. But love him enough to teach him to own the terrible decisions he's made, to pay the debt to society as prescribed, and then to find a redemptive path to walk, doing the great work in the world that you say he will. For now though, as one father to another: Help us teach our children to do better -- by letting them see us do better." (Read statement here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/stanford-rape-case-father-writes-moving-open-letter-to-brock-turners-dad-a7071951.html)
I’m personally excited and hopeful that one day I get to birth a daughter like the victim. To teach her right from wrong, and let her decide the gray areas just like I was taught. However, I’m afraid for her if parents cannot teach their sons and daughters about the difference between sex and rape, while raising them as the type of adults that don’t cross these lines. There should not be confusing circumstances, or iffy-situations, ever. If it’s not a yes, it’s a no. When sexual situations do start, I hope we can teach our children to also speak up —but also accept someone’s desires if they do not want to progress in any sexual or emotional context. If they can’t speak up, I hope we can raise them to find help.
As I was scrolling through my Twitter feed, I read a simple picture that compelled me. It read,
“‘Consensual sex’ is just sex. To say that implies that there is such a thing as “non-consensual sex”, which there isn’t. That’s rape. That is what it needs to be called. There is only sex or rape. Do not teach people that rape is just another type of sex. They are two very Separate events. You wouldn’t say “breathing swimming” and “non-breathing swimming”. You say swimming and drowning.”
Rape is a hard topic to conform a dialogue around. Now, we’re talking about it. That’s the first step to informing youth, and receiving justice. Let’s be mindful of these terms.
I hope we can raise our boys to become men, and our girls to become women, while helping others along the way.
