ICYMI, and we're sure you didn't, Brock Turner, a man convicted of assault with intent to rape an intoxicated woman, sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object, and sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object, was released from prison after serving just three months of his already lenient six month sentence.
Brock, a swimmer, was granted his sentence by Judge Aaron Persky, who took into account when sentencing, Turner's role as a Stanford swimmer as well as his young age and gave him the shorter sentence because he didn't want the indicent to 'have a severe impact on him'. Brock's dad Dan too wrote a supporting letter begging the prosecution not to ruin his son's life for '20 minutes of action'.
The victim for her part, wrote an eloquent and devastating letter which I'm sure you've all read, detailing the many upsetting and horrific ways in which Brock's actions have impacted negatively on her life. Here's that letter again if you need a reminder.
Over on picture sharing website Imgur at the weekend, user Makoadog posted a picture of Brock, outlining his crimes and asking fellow users to never forget. Underneath, user Throwawayprofile shared the story of their rape, and where their rapist ended up. 'My rapist got 20 years, and I lived in a 3rd world country at the time.' They said. 'Only 3 months is really fucked up for a crime like this...'
And then, like a wave unleashed, other users chimed in with stories of what happened to their rapists. And it makes for upsetting reading.
So, just remember, Brock Turner is part of the problem, as is Judge Aaron Perksy. But, those guys are just the tip, tip top of the iceberg. Every day, all over the world, rape cases go unreported, rape cases are overturned, perpetrators are let off without convictions or given very lenient sentences, women and men are shamed for being victims and fear repercussions. In this country alone, 85,000 people are raped every year. That's 11 an hour. One in five women experience sexual violence between the ages of 16 and 59. Of reported rape cases, just 5.7% end in conviction.
Never forget Brock Turner, but also? Never forget the victims of those 85,000 people who did the same thing as Brock and, more than likely, suffered even less punishment.
You might also be interested in:
Brock Turner: What Do We Actually Know About The Man At The Centre Of The Stanford Rape Trial?
Brock Turner Is A Reminder That It's 2016 And We Still Don't Understand Consent
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.