Brock turner reditr6/14/2023 But the mention of “sexual promiscuity” is startling. The mention of drinking is a convenient scapegoat for Turner and his father, because they can point the finger at the victim, who was drinking – the implication being that she was partially to blame for her predicament, which she wasn’t. It’s disheartening, to say the least, that Mr Turner thinks the problem here is alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity, neither of which are the same thing as rape. “By having people like Brock educate others on college campuses is how society can begin to break the cycle of binge drinking and its unfortunate results.” “Brock can do so many positive things as a contributor to society and is totally committed to educating other college age students about the dangers of alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity,” he wrote. Incredibly, Mr Turner went on to say that his son could become a role model for young people. Turner’s “actions” on the night of Januwere violent, because that night, he raped someone. Turner also left her with lasting feelings of despair, difficulty with trust, an inability to eat or sleep, depression, isolation, difficulty working, and continuing fear. Turner’s victim was left with bruises inside her vagina and scratches and lacerations on her skin. Rape is always violent, and it is always a violation. Mr Turner’s comment here portrays a fundamental misunderstanding of rape. Mr Turner went on to say that his son should not be sent to jail because of his lack of prior offending, and also because “he has never been violent to anyone, including his actions on the night of January 17, 2015.” The only difference is she had no say in it. That “good time,” of course, robbed Turner’s victim of her dignity and wellbeing and permanently altered the course of her life, too. As though it was harmless sexual fun – the kind young men are wont to seek out – and only 20 minutes of it, as if his son was cheated by having to face all these pesky consequences for a mere blip of a good time. That’s how Brock Turner’s father described his son raping an unconscious young woman behind a dumpster. That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life.”Ģ0 minutes of action. In the face of widespread backlash about his sentence, Turner’s father issued a statement defending his son, arguing his life will be “deeply altered” by the court’s verdict and that “He will never be his happy-go-lucky self with that easygoing personality and welcoming smile.” Turner’s father went on to describe the worry, anxiety, fear and depression his son now faces, before stating that “His life will never be the one that he dreamt about and worked so hard to achieve. Photo credit: Jezebel story (linked above) Judge Aaron Persky is now facing widespread calls to be removed from his judicial position, and Brock Turner’s face is plastered all across the Internet – although most images are of him smiling, with a fresh haircut and clean-cut suit, rather than his actual mugshot from the night, which has recently been provided to the media. It’s for this reason that an unusual amount of outrage has been garnered about this rapist and his sentence. Photo credit: Buzzfeed story (linked above) The 23 year-old woman spoke in heartbreaking detail about the impact of the rape on her and her family, beginning with a punch-to-the-gut opening – “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today” – and continuing by detailing her gruelling treatment by defence counsel and the lingering impact of her traumatic assault. We may not even have known about this case, if it weren’t for the eloquent and deeply moving statement his victim read to the court, which has since gone viral online. In March this year, judge Aaron Persky handed down a six month sentence to Turner despite the maximum sentence of 14 years for three counts of sexual assault, saying that he thought “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him… I think he will not be a danger to others.” This, in itself, isn’t news: rapists avoiding jail time for their crimes is nothing new, and it’s not unusual for young, white male athletes from prestigious universities to be treated leniently by their schools and the legal system. On January 17, 2015, Stanford student athlete Brock Turner raped an unconscious women behind a dumpster. Trigger warning: this opinion piece addresses rape and sexual violence. The statements of Stanford student athlete and rapist Brock Turner’s family and friends point to the poisoned atmosphere which helps prominent men believe they are entitled to rape, says Madeleine Holden.
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