Dear Brock Turner,

This will most likely be the most controversial article I ever write for Odyssey, but I know that this letter must be written. I know that what I am about to say may sound like the ramblings and mansplaining of another upper-middle class, privileged, white, male, college student, but let me begin by saying that I do not condone your actions in any way, shape or form.

What you did is one of the most egregious actions humanity is capable of; I argue that rape is worse even than murder since a murder victim does not have to live with what happened to them for the rest of their lives. You destroyed the life of your victim and the lives of all those close to her.

You were brought to justice and held accountable for your actions. Judge Persky sentenced you to six months in county jail and three years probation – a sentence which I believe to be much too lenient for your crime – but you have been sentenced for life. The entire world knows your name, recognizes your face and knows what you did. You will never be able to outgrow the actions of your 20-year-old self.

From all of this, it would be easy to wish that you would rot in a prison cell, to see you burn in hell. I can only imagine the threats you have received. Your father wrote that, "He will never be his happy go lucky self with that easy going personality and welcoming smile. His every waking minute is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear, and depression. You can see this in his face, the way he walks, his weakened voice, his lack of appetite... Now he barely consumes any food and eats only to exist. These verdicts have broken and shattered him and our family in so many ways. His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve.” I hope you can see the irony in this.

It would be very easy for me to wish to see you dead, to want to give your victim the opportunity to administer the drugs herself; however, I have no intention of making the whole world blind. Pope Francis declared an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy this past December – this is supposed to be a time when the entire world is shown and shows mercy beyond ordinary measures. The year’s motto, Misericordes Sicut Pater – Merciful Like the Father – has been mulling in my head since I first heard the story of your crime. My initial reactions were full of hate and spite. Still now, I think your sentence does not reflect the severity of your actions, I think you do not show remorse for your actions, I think you will never fully understand why your actions have consequences. However, I know that I must show you mercy because God does.

It will be years, it might never even happen, before your victim and her family and friends, you and your family and friends, or anyone else forgives you. Know this, though, our God in Heaven forgives you. This does not mean you are absolved of the consequences, but rather the that the love of God does not stop.

I pray that you and everyone else involved in this case find the healing and forgiveness they need; I pray that others will show mercy, even though we cannot fathom a world in which you deserve it; I pray that you know that God’s mercy and love extend beyond anything humanity is capable of.

Sincerely,

James McDonough

Someone who believes, even though he may never fully understand.