Brock Turner, 20, who faced a maximum of 14 years in prison, was sentenced Thursday to six months in jail, followed by probation, for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in January 2015.
Turner was a star swimmer at Stanford University. His father asked the judge for leniency in a written letter, saying that 14 years would be “a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action.”
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The letter says Turner no longer enjoys certain foods, like steak, and “now he barely consumes any food and eats only to live.”
The statements have been met with angry reactions on social media.
if someone's a rapist and an athlete, they're not an athlete who made a mistake, they're a criminal who can also swim.
— Lauren DeStefano (@LaurenDeStefano) June 5, 2016
Wait a second... Brock Allen Turner will only be spending 6 months in prison for RAPING an unconscious girl behind a dumpster????!!!
— Ariel Winter (@arielwinter1) June 4, 2016
RAPE CULTURE: Brock Turner's dad is sad he only got "20 minutes of action" & doesn't even like eating steaks anymore pic.twitter.com/eQswM8Lb11
— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) June 5, 2016
Why hasn't any media used Brock Allen Turner's mugshot, like with non-athlete offenders? Why is only his yearbook photo being circulated?
— Julie DiCaro (@JulieDiCaro) June 6, 2016
The victim also released a letter that she read to her attacker. “This is not a story of another drunk college hookup with poor decision making,” she wrote. “Assault is not an accident.”
Reported Sexual Assaults at Stanford University | StartClass
Judge Aaron Persky defended his light punishment of Turner.
The photo below is from the night Brock Turner was arrested.
Persky justified the six-month sentence by citing Turner’s age, his lack of criminal history, character statements given on Turner’s behalf and the fact that alcohol was involved.
Women Who Have Experienced Sexual or Physical Violence | HealthGrove