To the Point
Sexual Assault at Stanford: Does the Punishment Fit the Crime?
The crime was brutal: sexual assault of an unconscious woman who didn't find out what happened until reading a newspaper report days after the fact. But there were witnesses -- and plenty of evidence to convict a star Stanford athlete whose explanation lacked credibility.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe crime was brutal: sexual assault of an unconscious woman who didn't find out what happened until reading a newspaper report days after the fact. But there were witnesses -- and plenty of evidence to convict a star Stanford athlete whose explanation lacked credibility. Brock Turner claimed that she consented after they both drank too much at a party. Prosecutors asked for six years, but Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to six months in jail — not even the recommended minimum. Popular outrage has raised many questions including, should the judge be recalled? Would an athlete of color have been treated so leniently?
