Stanford Case Shines a Light on Campus Sexual Assault and Rape Culture

Every day, hundreds of people are affected by sexual violence across the United States. In particular, on college campuses 11.2% of all students experience rape or sexual assault. Despite these disturbing and unacceptable levels of violence, only 20% of female students who have experienced sexual assault report to law enforcement for reasons ranging from fear of reprisal to a belief that police could not or would not help.

In this light, the lenient six-month sentence that Judge Aaron Persky recently handed down to Brock Turner, the 22-year-old perpetrator in a sexual assault case at Stanford University, was a frustrating missed opportunity to demonstrate intolerance for this grievous crime. Devastatingly, as one Twitter user points out, it is also notable that it resulted in any conviction at all given the challenges of taking sexual assault cases to trial.

Protest over the legal system’s handling of sexual assault found a voice in the eloquent, heart-wrenching courtroom statement of the 23-year-old victim, which was published on Buzzfeed. The sentence, far shorter than the prosecution’s recommended six years, and the powerful self-advocacy represented by the victim’s letter, have ignited nationwide outrage.

• You can read a thorough overview of the case and the public’s response here.
• This article explains that the Stanford rape case encapsulates broader issues of campus sexual assault, including a perception that greater concern is shown for sexual abusers than for victims.
• This article explains how the survivor’s courtroom statement dismantles common and dangerous misconceptions about rape.

Media coverage of the case drew criticism for its focus on the Turner’s athletic record and the use of a cleaned-up sentencing photo rather than his original mug shot, which the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department was reluctant to release.

• A ThinkProgress post describes the difficulty and media pressure necessary to extract the original mug shot from the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department, explaining the argument that the use of a school yearbook photo strategically preserves Turner’s image while contrasting strongly with coverage of cases in which black men were convicted of rape.
• Writer Kovie Biakolo, however, makes the point that the original images are also representative of rape culture, showing that rapists do not always look like the “boogeyman” we fear.

The case is also notable for the seeming lack of comprehension or remorse on the part of Brock Turner and his father, Dan Turner.

• You can read the letter from Dan Turner here, who argued that a prison sentence for his son would be “a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life” and does not acknowledge any wrongdoing despite a jury conviction of sexual assault.
• Another father powerfully responded to this letter on Huffington Post, stating: “The idea that your son has never violated another woman next to a dumpster before isn’t a credit to his character. We don’t get kudos for only raping one person in our lifetime. I don’t believe your son is a monster but he acted like one and that needs to be accounted for. To be sure, this decision is not the sum total of Brock’s life, but it is an important part of the equation and it matters deeply.”
• Casey Gwinn, the President and Co-Founder of Alliance for HOPE Internationaland the Founder of Camp HOPE America, also released a pointed commentary on the inadequacy and  shortsightedness of Dan Turner’s letter

We reflect on a hopeful detail, the bystander intervention that was a substantial aid to the perpetrator being held accountable in this case. And we urge you to turn to the source and read the survivor’s letter in full. Her words speak for many and her bravery shines a light on an issue that fundamentally affects the safety and health of communities across the country.

From a letter the survivor in the Stanford sexual assault case read to the perpetrator.