The image of Brock Turner has taken over social media feeds. He is not a talented swimmer. He is a man who raped an unconscious woman behind a dumpster.
The judge in this case was Aaron Persky. He issued Turner a six-month sentence in county jail instead of the maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for offenders of sexual assault.
The scary truth about the outcome of this case is that it is not an unusual one. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 994 out of every 1,000 rapists will walk away with no consequences. Only six will ever spend a day in prison.
Rape culture has drastically affected the manner in which society views sexual assaults.
"She shouldn't have gotten so drunk around a bunch of boys."
"Did you see what she was wearing? She was totally asking for it."
"It sounded like she was enjoying herself, so she obviously wanted it."
Consent is a clear and sober yes.
When will people understand that a woman is saying yes to sex only when she is clear-minded and is clearly stating, "Yes," when the man asks, "Do you want to have sex?" And the man should always ask this.
And a big problem with rape culture is that it is evident in the country's law enforcement and court systems.
Too often, women summon the bravery to report a sexual assault to the police only to have officers question how much she had to drink or the clothes she was wearing instead of questioning the offenders on whether or not they asked for consent. And too often, these offenders receive sympathy in court, believing the man simply made a mistake.
In Turner's case, Judge Persky issued the short sentence because he believed any more time behind bars would have a serious impact on Turner's life in the future.
What about the woman Turner forced himself into? Will she not face emotional and mental trauma for the rest of her life because of a rape she does not even remember? She may even face more distress because she is seeing her attacker walk away with little consequence.
Rapists deserve to face the consequences of their evil actions.
Rape is not a simple night of sex. Rape is not an innocent mistake. Rape is a serious and dangerous offense.
Women are constantly told to not dress provocatively because "boys cannot control themselves when they see a woman wearing a short skirt." And women are told this from the day they start school. Dress codes are becoming more and more strict because "women must not wear clothing that might distract boys in some way."
And women are constantly told to carry pepper spray or a taser wherever they go in case someone attacks them. This is especially true on college campuses.
How about we teach men to just not rape women?
Women should not fear for their lives when they are walking back to their car or dorm from the library. She has just finished studying for her last final before she graduates, but her life changes forever because she was raped.
But it is apparently okay because her shorts were a bit too short.
Women should be allowed to dress up, go out and have a few drinks with their best friends without the fear of being sexual assaulted. She is celebrating her 30th birthday, a big promotion, an engagement, but her life changes forever because she was raped.
But it is apparently okay because she was so drunk.
Rapists deserve to face jail time for their crimes. And the feelings of those women they attacked do not deserve to be trivialized. Rape is traumatic. Rape is life-changing. Rape haunts a human being for the rest of their lives. The rapist needs to serve those 14 years in prison, in the hopes that they may slightly understand the pain and distress they made their victim endure.
