Brock Turner, the then-nineteen-year old male who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman, was released from the Santa Clara County Jail on Sept. 2, 2016 after only three months in prison. His original sentence, just six months, had already received much attention, but now that his sentence has been cut in half, the outrage is national.
On Jan. 18, 2015, two students had been biking past the Kappa Alpha fraternity house when they noticed a man on top of an unconscious woman. Noticing the bikers, the man got off the woman and began to run away. The two students quickly chased after him and tackled and restrained him. The man was later identified as Brock Turner, a then-freshman at Stanford University. When the police arrived on the scene, they found the woman breathing but unresponsive curled in the fetal position behind the dumpster, her dress hiked up to her waist and her underwear on the ground.
As the victim was transported to a hospital, the police repeatedly tried to wake her up, even going so far as to stick an IV needle in her arm. Eventually, she regained consciousness around 4:15 a.m. that morning. She had no idea what had happened. (To read her letter about her experience, in which she addresses Turner directly throughout most of it, go to http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/02/us/brock-turner-release-jail/ Warning: it is very graphic.)
Turner was originally indicted for five charges: two for rape, two for felony sexual assault, and one for attempted rape. He pleaded not guilty for all five; the two rape charges were later dropped after investigation by the prosecutors. On Mar. 14, 2016, the trial for Brock Turner began, and was concluded on Mar. 30, 2016. The convictions carried a potential for 14 years in prison; the defense asked for at least six. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to only six months. Now, he is out after three because of “good behavior.”
Many people are outraged by this. In fact, the people of Santa Clara County are demanding that Judge Persky resign. Demonstrators stood on the outside of the Santa Clara jail holding signs that read “Protect survivors, not rapists,” “Hold Persky accountable,” and, possibly the most emotional, “Because our daughters deserve better.”
Turner must register as a sex offender for life, having to register every ninety days in Dayton, OH. Anyone living within 1,250 feet of him will receive a postcard notifying them of his history, and he will not be allowed to live within 1,000 feet of schools or playgrounds.
As for the woman who Turner sexually assaulted, no comment has been made, but the ending statement in her letter, addressed to women everywhere, will forever be remembered: “…I hope that by speaking today, you absorbed a small amount of light, a small knowing that you can’t be silenced, a small satisfaction that justice was served, a small assurance that we are getting somewhere, and a big, big knowing that you are important, unquestionably, you are untouchable, you are beautiful, you are to be valued, respected, undeniably, every minute of every day, you are powerful and nobody can take that away from you. To girls everywhere, I am with you.”