I have written on the topic of rape many times before as both a scholar and a writer for the Odyssey. I have written numerous papers on rape. I have seen the statistics, I have analyzed the graphs, all of it is very sickening. I even wrote an article last month about how it is on us to stand up for each other, and to educate, empathize, and properly handle rape case. I have devoted my life to seeking justice, and justice was not served here.
NOTHING makes my skin crawl quite like the Brock Turner case. I am absolutely disgusted at our justice system. Unfortunately for potential victims, rape is often difficult to prove, especially when alcohol is involved. Now, let me break this case down for you. Brock Turner, a 20 year old (my age, my freaking age) Stanford student assaulted a 23-year-old woman who was passed out behind a dumpster after consuming alcohol.
PAUSE: This is the part where someone who doesn't take rape so serious would say something along the lines of, "Maybe she actually wanted it" or "She shouldn't be drinking so much".
RESUME: THERE WERE WITNESSES WHO SAW THIS HAPPENING. There were two bicyclists who fended off the rapist. There were people there to witness a man who ENTERED A WOMAN'S UNCONSCIOUS BODY. The woman was taken to the hospital and had a rape kit. According to her victim impact statement, she was picked at and prodded for hours, enough to make her feel like crawling out of her own skin. She did not remember what had happened to her, and read about the gruesome details along with the rest of us in the police report. She had to live with this for months, waiting for a conviction and a sentence.
Okay, truthfully, rape cases happen more often than we think. I personally did not hear about this case until recently, even though it happened way back in January 2015. When I did finally read up on this case, it was not to celebrate justice being served against the wrongdoings of a rapist, but rather to analyze the wrongdoings of the Criminal Justice System.
FAST FORWARD: So this jerk gets convicted. He is guilty. He gets sentenced to 6 months in prison and 3 years probation.... The public hears about it... Chaos. Excuse me? This man, this man who was caught red handed RAPING a woman, gets off with 6 months (probably 3 with good behavior) in jail and 3 years probation. This man who was convicted for RAPE gets off with less than a year in JAIL, but we have people serving YEARS in PRISON for possession of marijuana? The justice system just slapped every person who has ever felt unsafe walking home alone at night across the face. The justice system just terrified every person who will ever fall victim of sexual assault and needs to decide whether or not to report it. The justice system just discouraged victims from seeking help. Most importantly, the justice system just failed this victim.
NOW HERE IS WHY I AM DISGUSTED: The justice system just said that this young man's future was more important than the pain and suffering that young woman will feel forever. The justice system just told me that I should fear rape even more so, because if I am ever assaulted, there may not be justice.
So what can we do? Well, we can start with growing up to be parents that teach our children that you are not entitled to anyone's body. We can vow to be the generation to stand up when we see something wrong that is happening around us. We can put pressure on the Criminal Justice System to CHANGE. We can put pressure on each other to CHANGE. We can be the change that we wish to see in the world.
