The case regarding former Stanford University swimmer Brock Allen Turner has finally come to end, but the controversy over the situation seems to only be growing.
In January 2015, two people said they witnessed Turner assaulting an unconscious victim behind a dumpster on Stanford’s campus according to a release from District Attorney Jeff Rosen.
Tuner ran but the witnesses stopped and restrained him until the police arrived.
Here are 5 things you need to know about the former three-time All-American Oakwood High School swimmer and Stanford University swimmer.
Charges
In March, Turner was convicted of sexual assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated/unconscious person; penetration of an intoxicated person; and penetration of an unconscious person.
Dan A. Tuner’s letter becomes Twitter post
His father, Dan Turner spoke out in a letter posted to social media by a Stanford law professor before the sentencing requesting his son to be put on probation instead of being incarcerated. Here is what the letter said:
#brockturner father: son not "violent" only got "20 mins of action" shouldn't have to go to prison. @thehuntinground pic.twitter.com/IFECJs687b
— Michele Dauber (@mldauber) June 5, 2016
Sentencing
Turner has been sentenced to six months in jail for three counts of sexual assault. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. A sentence some thought too lenient. “The punishment does not fit the crime,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a prepared statement. “The sentence does not factor in the true seriousness of this sexual assault, or the victim’s ongoing trauma. Campus rape is no different than off-campus rape. Rape is rape.
The victim speaks out
At Turner’s sentencing, the victim was able to read a letter describing the “severe impact” the assault had on her. Here is what she said:
Keep thinking about this. Not just a powerful moral statement, it belongs in an anthology of America's best writing. https://t.co/mjnvl5Eu7C
— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) June 4, 2016
Petitions
The outrage over social media has escalated since the sentencing and petitions have begun to surface. One petition is for a review of the case and Judge Aaron Persky’s decision. Another petition on Change.org is calling for a recall election or another means of expulsion against Judge Aaron Persky which has already received 55,000 signatures.
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