Last week on June 2nd, Brock Turner faced a judge that left him with a punishment of 6 months in jail with probation. The crime? A rising issue that many people today are, unfortunately, all too familiar with: rape.
Recently, this story gained national attention through the media. Out of the possible 14 year jail time sentence the former Stanford swimmer could have received, he was given a much more lenient consequence for the crime. Many are outraged that Judge Persky made this decision out of sympathy, stating that a strict sentence would have a “severe impact” on Turner. Another factor raised by social media is that because he is white, Turner was favored more by the modern judicial system than, say, an African American man.
But instead of the criminal, why not focus on the victim for a change? During the trial the 23-year-old woman, who had been unconscious at the scene of the crime, spoke out against her attacker. This in of itself would require a world of strength for any person in her position. And now, her words are a monumental sensation in the fight against rape.
She begins with the words, “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.” During her period of unconsciousness, a piece of her was stolen and something as sacred as the human body was violated. She goes on to tell of her intentions that night, to attend an average college party with her younger sister. The next moment, she recalls awakening inside a hospital. Her realization of the event is as sudden and forceful as being hit by a brick; “The thin piece of fabric, the only thing between my vagina and anything else,” she says, “was missing and everything inside me was silenced.”
Afterwards she felt empty, unable to think, sleep, or eat. Amidst her anguish, she had to focus on testifying in court where defense attorneys undermined her situation with questions like, “What were you wearing?” and, “You said you were a party animal?” She was forced to relive her assault but this time, through the attacker’s perspective. In his story, the victim’s unconsciousness was used against her by invalidating her recollection of that night’s events. He went on to describe how eager she was to consent. She states, “It is enough to be suffering. It is another thing to have someone ruthlessly working to diminish the gravity of validity of this suffering.”
Turner’s impressive swimming times and the influence of alcohol on said night should not deem the situation any less serious than it was. The incident plagued the family with countless days of suffering and worry, only to have the severity of it questioned without apology from the defendant. For the woman, it will haunt her forever. “It stays with me,” the victim states, “it’s part of my identity, it has forever changed the way I carry myself, the way I live the rest of my life.”
This woman’s fight for truth must be acknowledged and admired by society. People like her are the catalyst for change in modern social issues. If there is anything to learn from this letter, it is that we are all capable of fighting against social injustice when we harness our internal power and break the silence. To the author, we stand with you.
Source (and where you can read the full letter): https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.bpVKOpal5#.cgR97WKke
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Will one in three women in South Africa be raped? Blow the Whistle wrong again
