U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer on Monday decried a California judge’s decision to sentence a college athlete to just six months in jail for sexual assault, and signatures on an online petition calling for the jurist’s ouster later passed 400,000. The sentence last week by Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky against former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner gained international attention after a letter from the athlete’s father to the judge that was posted online described the assault as “20 minutes of action.”…. “Six months for someone who viciously attacked a woman, especially after she was so brave to come forward, is outrageous,” Boxer said in a statement released late Monday. Asked for a comment on the controversy over his ruling, Santa Clara Superior Court spokesman Joseph Macaluso said Judge Persky is prohibited from commenting on the case because there may be an appeal.
Above and beyond any of the anger, recrimination, and demands for a recall, the good news is that we’re having a conversation about how our judicial system deals with rapists. It’s been a long time coming, but at least we’re talking about our collective double standards and lack of responsiveness and compassion toward victims of sexual assault.
The case of Brock Turner, the Stanford University swimmer who raped a drunk and unconscious woman, while heinous in and of itself, has served useful as a catalyst for society to examine how rape culture and White privilege can combine into something truly toxic and unjust. That his father leapt to his defense, claiming that “20 minutes of action” shouldn’t be allowed to ruin his son’s life, only confirms the need for change.
Turner’s case is but one example of how our judicial systems treats victims of sexual assault. At no time has Brock Turner or his father ever appeared to display anything resembling concern for the victim. While I suppose it’s on some level sad that a young man with (what was previously) a promising future) is now a convicted rapist who must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, that’s but one very small aspect of the tragedy. A young woman was raped- something she neither asked for nor deserved…if for no other reason than she was unconscious. She’ll carry that trauma with her until her last dying breath.
I sincerely hope that the victim will find the strength to heal, move on, and lead a life full of joy and passion; she deserves nothing less. She, along with the legion of sexual assault victims in this country, more than anything need to understand that society and our judicial system will stand behind them. They need to know that justice will be done. They need to know that a rapist’s skin color, future prospects, socioeconomic status, and/or athletic prowess will not be viewed as mitigating factors.
We as a society need to lose the “boys will be boys” attitude that allows rapists like Brock Turner to escape with a de facto slap on the wrist. Women need to know that society will protect and defend them if they’re sexually assaulted. They need to trust they won’t be somehow be further victimized by being blamed for “ruining the life” of their attacker. They need, and have every right, to be able to expect that justice will be done.
I don’t know what the fate of the judge in this case should be. I’ll leave that argument to those with a dog in the fight. My interest lies in seeing the development of a collective cultural mindset that holds rapists accountable and that treats women with dignity, respect, and understanding. That doesn’t seem as if it should be an issue here in the 21st century…but apparently we have much work ahead of us, and miles to go before we sleep.
