In the past few months in particular, there have been many sexual assault cases that have sparked outrage across America. Unfortunately, the women who have the courage to speak up about their experiences have to face scrutiny from not only the public, but some of their peers as well. Why are we as a society continuously protecting the rapists and not the victims? Why is it that appointed judges can get away with asking a victim in court why they “couldn’t keep their knees together?” Judges shorten sentences of or even acquit rapists because the stain of a criminal record may ruin their lives.
Ruin their lives? I’m pretty sure the life ruined is the victim who can’t even look at herself in the mirror because her own body is a reminder of the worst night of her life. The girl who will never not be beating herself up because she was told it was her fault for drinking at a party. Well when you go to a party surrounded by your friends, you don’t expect random strangers to take advantage of and violate you. Especially if you on a whim decided to go out with your sister who was in town for the weekend to spend more time with her, like Emily Doe, the victim of the Brock Turner case.
The Brock Turner case embodies the corruptness of judicial America, full of victim shaming and white privilege. Facing three counts of sexual assault and a maximum sentence of 14 years, not only was he sentenced to just six months in a correctional facility, he was released in three for “good behavior”. His release has once again reignited the anger in many Americans who are looking to reform the way rape cases are handled. There’s even a rumor that Turner is going to be touring high schools talking about the negative impact of alcohol and promiscuity, even when he has not once openly apologized to the woman he raped.
As it has become a national case, many have heard the story of the “former Stanford swimmer” which is the predominant title he is referred to as in a majority of the news articles on the case. The fact that he is still known by that title really bothers me as an individual who knows so many survivors of sexual assault that I need more hands to count on. Yes, he did swim for Stanford, but after he forced himself into an unconscious woman on the cold hard ground in front of a dumpster, the only word I know him by is rapist.
The victim shaming in the case is unacceptable and Turner’s father referring to his son destroying a girl’s life as “20 minutes of action” is sickening. Especially because in those minutes he ruined not only Emily Doe’s life but her mental state and made her feel trapped in her own skin. There should be no question that your son is a rapist Mr. Turner, especially when there were two witnesses to the attack who chased your son down after he ran from the scene of the crime. You heard them testify in court, you heard your son’s victim address him and describe how she is now scarred for the rest of her life because of those 20 minutes.
Emily Doe has become the face of reason for the reform of sentencing rapists ever since her haunting statement “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside of me and that is why we are here today”. These bold words have reignited the conversation in government calling for change. There is currently a proposed law in the state of California to require a minimum sentence of three years for similar charges as the Turner case. While this may seem like a small step towards change, reform has to start somewhere.
As a college student, it pains me to say that I have truly seen the one in five ratio in my sorority alone. One in five. But we don’t have to wait for Congress to make change, there are many things we can do as a community to affect change ourselves.
Lead survivors to the help they need. There are so many different support groups here on campus alone. The 24 hour hotline Women Helping Women is helpful when you feel like you need to talk someone who understands what you’re going through. Call 513-381-5610. Also, take advantage of the free counseling at CAPS as well as their 24 hour crisis counseling at 513-556-0648.
Speak up. If you see something even slightly wrong with a situation, do something. You have a responsibility to protect other women or men from any form of assault situation, don’t be silent. If it has happened to your friend, try to get them to speak up about it so it doesn’t happen to someone else.
Hopefully there will come a day when the Emily Does of the world get the justice they deserve and consent is universally understood, but until that day be an advocate for change.
