Brock Allen Turner, who was sentenced to six months in jail, will be released this Friday after serving just three months.
On January 18, 2014, Turner, then 19 years old, was apprehended by two Stanford University students who witnessed him assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. The students intervened, tackling Turner as he attempted to flee, and promptly alerted law enforcement. During the police interviews, one of the witnesses was visibly shaken, struggling to articulate the traumatic event he had just witnessed.
Turner was arrested and faced five felony charges: rape of an intoxicated person, rape of an unconscious person, sexual penetration by a foreign object of an intoxicated woman, sexual penetration by a foreign object of an unconscious woman, and assault with intent to commit rape. He was later released on a $150,000 bail.
Ultimately, Turner was convicted of three of these charges: assault with intent to commit rape against an intoxicated or unconscious individual, and penetration of both an intoxicated and an unconscious person. Despite the severity of his crimes, Judge Aaron Persky sentenced him to a mere six months in Santa Clara County jail, a shocking contrast to the potential maximum sentence of 14 years.
With good behavior, Turner was expected to serve only three months, which he has now completed. This means that he, a convicted rapist, will walk out of jail just in time to join his family for a long Labor Day weekend.
Recall the infamous letter from Turner’s father to the judge, where he lamented about his son’s diminished appetite since the incident, expressing concern over how it affected the family. Not once did either parent acknowledge the victim or express remorse for their son’s actions.
Judge Persky’s statement during sentencing ignited outrage among many: “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him… I believe he will not pose a danger to others.” The judge seemed more concerned about the impact of a conviction on Turner’s life rather than the gravity of the crime committed against the victim.
An eyewitness, Peter Jonsson, noted that Turner was even smiling during the incident, a detail that adds to the absurdity of the situation. “I was laughing at the situation of how ridiculous it was,” Jonsson testified. It’s disheartening to realize that, while we strive to empower our daughters, the justice system often fails to uphold their worth.
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In summary, Brock Turner’s release after serving just half of his six-month sentence has sparked significant public outrage and highlighted serious flaws in the justice system regarding sexual assault cases.