Brock Allen Turner’s mugshot. Photo courtesy of Wetpaint.
Summary: The Stanford Rapist reportedly got his six month jail sentence reduced to three months.
Convicted rapist Brock Allen Turner reportedly will be released on September 2, 2016. The Santa Clara County Department of Corrections published the shocking news on its website, Mic reports, meaning the former Stanford University swimmer and now poster boy for rape culture has had his already lenient sentence of six months in jail reduced to three.
- To learn more about the Stanford Rapist case, read this article: Former Stanford Swimmer Receives Jail Sentence for Sexual Assault
Turner, 20, was convicted of raping a fellow student. He assaulted her next to a dumpster, and two bystanders happened to approach the scene and apprehend him. The Good Samaritans reported to police they became suspicious when they noticed a half-naked woman lying unconscious with Turner thrusting on top of her.
Prosecutors asked that Turner serve a few years in prison, but Judge Aaron Persky handed down six months, citing “a prison sentence would have a severe impact on him.” Turner, who is white and wealthy, was seemingly given special treatment, which drew the ire of over one million people who signed a petition asking for Persky’s removal. According to TMZ, Turner is being held in protective custody, safely tucked away from other jail inmates.
Turner and his defense blamed alcohol and party culture for his heinous crime, not himself. However, ABC reported that multiple women noticed his predatory behavior the night of the rape. One person said that at the party where he met his victim he was also grabbing another woman whom he had no prior repoire with. Additionally, the rape arrest was not his first tango with the law. According to ABC, in 2014, he was arrested for underage drinking and running away from the police. This was a contradiction to the All-American good student he had been presented as in court.
Buzzfeed published the victim’s moving statement in which she proclaimed how he had damaged her life. Her powerful words combined with Turner’s light sentence, seeming lack of remorse, and rape apology statements from his family and friends has inspired several high profile people to respond.
On Monday, CNN’s Ashley Banfield read the victim’s letter in its entirety on air. On Thursday, Texas Representative Ted Poe read her letter on the House floor, and he demanded that an appeals court overturn Turner’s sentence and oust Persky, who has become somewhat of a pariah. According to Rolling Stone, potential jurors have been hostile towards him during jury selection recently, and they were subsequently let go.
“As a country, we must change our mentality and make sure that our young people recognize sexual assault and rape for the heinous crimes that they are,” Poe said. “As a grandfather, I want to know that my granddaughters are growing up in a society that has zero tolerance for this crime. No means no.”
Vice President Joe Biden also expressed his support for the victim. On Thursday, he sent an open letter to her which was published on Buzzfeed. In the letter, he said her actions “will save lives” and that her “bravery was breathtaking.”
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