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The Courage of Survivors: The Stanford Rape Case

Jun 10, 2016 — Categories: , ,

The Board and Staff of FaithTrust Institute want to take this opportunity to share with you some of the outstanding responses we’ve read to the rape case at Stanford over the last few days. The media attention has been extraordinary, as have the comments and reflection on social media. Perhaps it's because of the powerful statement read by the survivor in court, which she addressed directly to the perpetrator, Brock Turner. (Note: If you haven’t already read this, be mindful that it is painful, powerful, and graphic. It may be difficult to read.) Or perhaps it was because the perpetrator was a college athlete from a prestigious university. Or maybe it was the blind entitlement and callousness of the letter written by the perpetrator’s father, which stood in stark contrast to the heart-wrenching pain expressed in the letter that the victim of this crime read in court.

The Board and Staff of FaithTrust Institute want to take this opportunity to share with you some of the outstanding responses we’ve read to the rape case at Stanford over the last few days. The media attention has been extraordinary, as have the comments and reflection on social media.

Perhaps it's because of the powerful statement read by the survivor in court, which she addressed directly to the perpetrator, Brock Turner. (Note: If you haven’t already read this, be mindful that it is painful, powerful, and graphic. It may be difficult to read.) Or perhaps it was because the perpetrator was a college athlete from a prestigious university. Or maybe it was the blind entitlement and callousness of the letter written by the perpetrator’s father, which stood in stark contrast to the heart-wrenching pain expressed in the letter that the victim of this crime read in court.

In some ways, this case is unique. Most rape cases aren’t reported to police, and even fewer ever get prosecuted. 97% of rapists never spend a day in jail. There were (blessed) bystanders who witnessed the crime and intervened. There was evidence that was taken seriously, even though the victim had been drinking before the crime. This is one of the few times when a woman drinking was not used to expediently dismiss the case as “unwinnable.” All this is unique, despite the data that proves over and over again that sexual assault impacts 20-25% of women.

One other thing is unique.  This case has inspired men to speak out. And they have a lot to say about rape culture and men’s role in ending it:

Apparently, many people don’t know what “rape” means. We suggest that one thing we can all do is start ongoing conversations about consent. This video, Consent: It’s as Simple as Tea, is appropriate to share with just about anyone over the age of 7 (use your judgement here). This simple video undercuts some of the core ideas of rape culture including the entitlement that some men have about women’s bodies and the pernicious belief that NO doesn’t mean NO (or that anything less than an enthusiastic yes is okay).

Let’s honor the courage of this young woman, and all of the others, by investing some time and energy in talking about sex and educating about consent. We cannot continue to expect victims and survivors to carry the burden of changing our culture. It’s our job create a world free of sexual violence.

 

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Stanford rape case

Posted by Leslie Golden at Jun 10, 2016 10:24 PM
Is there anything that can be done to alter this inadequate sentence?