By Sophie Gilbert ’19

Almost two years ago, at a Stanford frat party in January of 2015, a woman was discovered behind a dumpster, unconscious, half-naked, being sexually assaulted by a student. Five months ago, in March of 2016, that student, Brock Turner committing the assault, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, and he faced up to 14 years in prison. Three months ago, Turner was sentenced to a mere 6 months in jail. On September 2nd, 2016, Brock Turner was released, having served only half of his sentence.

The case received the attention that it did primarily because of a letter written and read aloud by the victim herself at Turner’s sentencing in June. The statement described the impact that the assault had on her life. Her statement was published on BuzzFeed and immediately began to gain attention. “I stood there examining my body …and decided, I don’t want my body anymore. I was terrified of it, I didn’t know what had been in it, if it had been contaminated, who had touched it.” She described the severe violation she felt when she regained consciousness and learned of her assault; she dictated her repudiation of her own body; she relayed the heavy emotional burden that was forced upon her.

Her eloquent, powerful statement was met with another open letter written by Brock’s father, Dan Turner, who  described in his letter how Brock had been negatively impacted by his assault of an unconscious woman. Dan defended Brock and stated that a prison sentence was unnecessary, and the emotional toll of the assault alone was “a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life.” (neglecting the emotional toll that the actual rape had on the victim). The letter also emphasized that Brock Turner was a hard worker, gifted academically, and an talented swimmer. At Stanford with a swimming scholarship, Brock Turner’s swimming talent was something that defined him throughout coverage of the assault. A portion of the victim’s statement described reading an article about the events: “And then, at the bottom of the article, after I learned about the graphic details of my own sexual assault, the article listed his swimming times.”  The focus on Turner’s swimming talent in the media has been rightfully met with controversy, since his swimming times have nothing to do with his actions as a rapist, and should be considered irrelevant when reporting about a sexual assault.

Additionally, Turner’s privilege as an athlete, a Stanford student, and as a white male contributed to his his incredibly short sentence. There is a bias in the media, and in the judicial system, towards those with attributes like Turner’s. His privilege allowed him to be treated far less harshly in the aftermath of his crime. People made excuses for him, saying that he was just a kid who made one mistake. His accomplishments academically and athletically were emphasized instead. Many people blamed the victim for drinking too much at the party, making it somehow her own fault for getting assaulted, while Turner was called a victim of “party culture.” Victim blaming is a dangerous, usually sexist way of thinking that allows rapists to not have to take responsibility for their own actions. Brock’s sentence was made shorter and shorter so that his life would not be too severely impacted. The impact a sentencing has on a criminal should be irrelevant; Brock should have his life altered by his sentencing, so that he faces consequences for his actions.  Had Turner been to a less prestigious school, was not as athletically gifted, or was a different race, it is very likely his sentence would not have been so lenient. The rules for rape sentences are not uniform, but it is incredibly clear that a sentencing of three months is far too short for a criminal such as Brock.

Nevertheless, it is inaccurate to say Brock Turner has faced no consequences. He has been registered as a lifetime sex offender, which will have permanent effects. After Turner’s release, he was met with protesters outside his home who held signs speaking out against Brock’s acts of violence, against Stanford, and against the judicial system that allowed Turner to get off with a three-month sentence. This system goes beyond the case of Brock Turner to a much larger issue. This is not the first time that women have been sexually assaulted on college campuses, that victims have been blamed for their own assault, or that attackers have been privileged enough to receive minimal punishment. Let Brock Turner’s actions serve as a reminder of the 20 to 25% of women who are raped during their four years at college, and his shortened sentence a reminder that there is injustice in a system that treats rapists with academic and athletic talent more leniently rather than forcing them to take responsibility for their actions. Brock Turner’s case is not an anomaly–a large number of rapists receive no punishment, and many cases are not even reported out of fear. However, with a lifetime as a registered sex offender and protesters outside his home, Brock Turner is not being let off easily despite his lenient sentence, and perhaps this is for the best; his victim’s life was forever changed, and he should bear the consequences of his actions just as she has to.