social pharmacy d-pharm 1st year by Pragati K. Mahajan
2023 Spring Term Gender and Law POL 319.pdf
1. 2023 Spring Term (WIN) Gender and Law POL 319
criminal justice multi-part question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.
For this last class session, we will stay with gender violence and look at rape and more
particularly college rape. The sociologist and feminist Dianne Herman wrote an essay in
1984 in which she coins the term “rape culture” to define society’s normalized attitude
toward sexual assault.
For today’s assignment please read Herman’s essay and first, explain the term “rape culture.
Second, try to think of how the decision in the Stanford Rape Case (NYT articles in the
assignment section) illustrates the normalization of rape culture as it exists in our society as
well as court rooms. I strongly encourage you to also read the letter written by the Stanford
rape victim Chanel Miller, which was published on Buzzfeed (also in the assignment
section). PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CONTENT IS TRIGGERING AND CONTANTS SEXUAL
VIOLENCE. Kindly let me know if you need any support.
Rape Culture | Reagan Williams | TEDxArkansasStateUniversity
Duration: 17:44
User: n/a - Added: 4/3/17
Requirements: ques
4/18/18, 11'32 AMBrock Turner Is Appealing His Sexual Assault Conviction - The New York
TimesPage 1 of 4https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/us/brock-turner-
appeal.htmlhttps://nyti.ms/2khwJomU.S.Brock Turner Is Appealing His SexualAssault
ConvictionBy MAYA SALAMDEC. 2, 2017Brock Turner, the former Stanford University
student and champion swimmer whowas found guilty in March 2016 of sexually assaulting
an unconscious woman oncampus, is appealing his conviction.A 172-page brief filed on
Friday by Mr. TurnerÕs lawyer, Eric Multhaup, saidMr. Turner did not get a fair trial for
several reasons, including the exclusion oftestimony by character witnesses who spoke of
his swimming career and hisperformance in school and attested to his honesty, the appeal
said.About 60 pages focus heavily on how intoxicated the victim, known as EmilyDoe, was
on the night of the attack.Mr. Multhaup declined to offer a comment beyond the
brief.ÒBrock Turner received a fair trial and was justly convicted,Ó Jeff Rosen, theSanta
Clara County district attorney, said in a statement on Saturday. ÒHisconviction will be
upheld. Nothing can ever roll back Emily DoeÕs legacy of raisingthe worldÕs awareness
about sexual assault.Ó
4/18/18, 11'32 AMBrock Turner Is Appealing His Sexual Assault Conviction - The New York
2. TimesPage 2 of 4https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/us/brock-turner-appeal.htmlThe
trial and sentencing of Mr. Turner prompted a national outcry and calledattention to sexual
assaults on college campuses.Judge Aaron Persky of Santa Clara County Superior Court
sentenced Mr. Turner Ñwho was a 19-year-old freshman when the crime occurred on Jan.
18, 2015 Ñ to sixmonths in a county jail and three yearsÕ probation after he was convicted
of threecounts of felony sexual assault. Mr. Turner faced as much as 14 years in prison.He
lost his swimming scholarship to Stanford and had to register as a sexoffender in Ohio, his
home state.The sentence was criticized as egregiously lenient, prompting an effort torecall
Judge Persky. Mr. Turner served three months in jail and was released onSept. 2, 2016.ÒThe
jury heard the evidence and decisively rejected TurnerÕs efforts to blamethe victim,Ó
Michele Dauber, a professor of law at Stanford and the chairwoman ofa committee to recall
Judge Persky, said on Saturday. ÒThe problem with this caseis not that Judge Persky was
unfair to Brock Turner, itÕs that Judge Persky wasunfair to the victim.ÓThe 22-year-old
victim, who was not a Stanford student, was attacked after aparty at the Kappa Alpha
fraternity. Two Stanford graduate students who werebicycling came upon the assault,
according to court records. When Mr. Turnerbegan to flee, they chased him, tackled him and
held him for the police.The victim has said she does not recall the assault. She said she was
told shehad been found behind a Dumpster, and learned from news reports that
thewitnesses discovered her attacker on top of her unconscious, partly clothed body.Mr.
TurnerÕs appeal takes issue with the prosecutor Alaleh KianerciÕs manyreferences to the
Dumpster during the trial, particularly her repeated use of thephrase Òbehind the
Dumpster.ÓThe appeal said the use of the phrase Òimplied an intent on the appellantÕs
part
4/18/18, 11'32 AMBrock Turner Is Appealing His Sexual Assault Conviction - The New York
TimesPage 3 of 4https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/us/brock-turner-appeal.htmlto
shieldÓ his activities from others and Òimplied moral depravity, callousness, andculpability
on the appellantÕs part because of the inherent connotations of filth,garbage, detritus and
criminal activity frequently generally associated withDumpsters.ÓThe victim and Mr.
Turner were found in a three-sided structure thatcustomarily houses a Dumpster. They
were discovered on an open side, facing adarkened basketball court. The fraternity house
faced the other side.The graduate students approached from the basketball court side,
meaningMr. Turner and the victim were not obscured, the brief said.A request for comment
from Ms. Kianerci was not immediately returned onSaturday.Mr. Turner was convicted of
sexual assault of an unconscious person, sexualassault of an intoxicated person and sexual
assault with intent to commit rape.In a statement submitted to the court before his
sentencing, Mr. Turnerinsisted that the sexual encounter was consensual, but he did admit
to Òimposingtrauma and painÓ on the victim.At Mr. TurnerÕs sentencing, the victim read a
lengthy statement.ÒThis is not a story of another drunk college hookup with poor
decisionmaking,Ó she said in the statement. ÒAssault is not an accident.ÓMr. TurnerÕs
father, Dan, was harshly criticized online after he made astatement saying that his son
should not go to jail or have his life ruined for Ò20minutes of action.ÓA still-unresolved
issue stemming from the case is the fate of Judge Persky,who sought in court to block
signature-collection efforts calling for his ouster. Thatrequest was rejected on Friday by a
4. would like to address the defendant directly.You donÕt know me, but youÕve been inside
me, and thatÕs whyweÕre here today.On January 17th, 2015, it was a quiet Saturday night
at home.My dad made some dinner and I sat at the table with myyounger sister who was
visiting for the weekend. I was workingfull time and it was approaching my bed time. I
planned to stayat home by myself, watch some TV and read, while she went toa party with
her friends. Then, I decided it was my only nightwith her, I had nothing better to do, so why
not, thereÕs a dumbparty ten minutes from my house, I would go, dance like a fool,and
embarrass my younger sister. On the way there, I joked thatundergrad guys would have
braces. My sister teased me forwearing a beige cardigan to a frat party like a librarian. I
calledmyself Òbig mamaÓ, because I knew IÕd be the oldest one there. Imade silly faces, let
my guard down, and drank liquor too fastnot factoring in that my tolerance had significantly
loweredsince college.The next thing I remember I was in a gurney in a hallway. I haddried
blood and bandages on the backs of my hands and elbow.
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 4 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95I thought maybe I
had fallen and was in an admin office oncampus. I was very calm and wondering where my
sister was. Adeputy explained I had been assaulted. I still remained calm,assured he was
speaking to the wrong person. I knew no one atthis party. When I was finally allowed to use
the restroom, Ipulled down the hospital pants they had given me, went to pulldown my
underwear, and felt nothing. I still remember thefeeling of my hands touching my skin and
grabbing nothing. Ilooked down and there was nothing. The thin piece of fabric,the only
thing between my vagina and anything else, wasmissing and everything inside me was
silenced. I still donÕt havewords for that feeling. In order to keep breathing, I thoughtmaybe
the policemen used scissors to cut them off for evidence.Then, I felt pine needles
scratchingthe back of my neck and startedpulling them out my hair. I thoughtmaybe, the
pine needles had fallenfrom a tree onto my head. My brainwas talking my gut into
notcollapsing. Because my gut wassaying, help me, help me.I shuffled from room to room
with ablanket wrapped around me, pineneedles trailing behind me, I left a little pile in every
room I satin. I was asked to sign papers that said ÒRape VictimÓ and Ithought something
has really happened. My clothes wereconfiscated and I stood naked while the nurses held a
ruler to"You donÕtknow me,but youÕvebeen insideme, andthatÕs whyweÕre heretoday."
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 5 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95various abrasions
on my body and photographed them. Thethree of us worked to comb the pine needles out of
my hair, sixhands to fill one paper bag. To calm me down, they said itÕs justthe flora and
fauna, flora and fauna. I had multiple swabsinserted into my vagina and anus, needles for
shots, pills, had aNikon pointed right into my spread legs. I had long, pointedbeaks inside
me and had my vagina smeared with cold, bluepaint to check for abrasions.After a few
hours of this, they let me shower. I stood thereexamining my body beneath the stream of
water and decided, IdonÕt want my body anymore. I was terrified of it, I didnÕt knowwhat
had been in it, if it had been contaminated, who hadtouched it. I wanted to take off my body
5. like a jacket and leave itat the hospital with everything else.On that morning, all that I was
told was that I had been foundbehind a dumpster, potentially penetrated by a stranger,
andthat I should get retested for HIV because results donÕt alwaysshow up immediately.
But for now, I should go home and getback to my normal life. Imagine stepping back into the
worldwith only that information. They gave me huge hugs and Iwalked out of the hospital
into the parking lot wearing the newsweatshirt and sweatpants they provided me, as they
had onlyallowed me to keep my necklace and shoes.My sister picked me up, face wet from
tears and contorted inanguish. Instinctively and immediately, I wanted to take awayher
pain. I smiled at her, I told her to look at me, IÕm right here,IÕm okay, everythingÕs okay,
IÕm right here. My hair is washed
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 6 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95and clean, they
gave me the strangest shampoo, calm down, andlook at me. Look at these funny new
sweatpants and sweatshirt,I look like a P.E. teacher, letÕs go home, letÕs eat something.
Shedid not know that beneath my sweatsuit, I had scratches andbandages on my skin, my
vagina was sore and had become astrange, dark color from all the prodding, my underwear
wasmissing, and I felt too empty to continue to speak. That I wasalso afraid, that I was also
devastated. That day we drove homeand for hours in silence my younger sister held me.My
boyfriend did not know what happened, but called that dayand said, ÒI was really worried
about you last night, you scaredme, did you make it home okay?Ó I was horrified. ThatÕs
when Ilearned I had called him that night in my blackout, left anincomprehensible
voicemail, that we had also spoken on thephone, but I was slurring so heavily he was scared
for me, thathe repeatedly told me to go find [my sister]. Again, he askedme, ÒWhat
happened last night? Did you make it home okay?Ó Isaid yes, and hung up to cry.I was not
ready to tell my boyfriend or parents that actually, Imay have been raped behind a
dumpster, but I donÕt know bywho or when or how. If I told them, I would see the fear on
theirfaces, and mine would multiply by tenfold, so instead Ipretended the whole thing
wasnÕt real.I tried to push it out of my mind, but it was so heavy I didnÕttalk, I didnÕt eat, I
didnÕt sleep, I didnÕt interact with anyone.After work, I would drive to a secluded place to
scream. I didnÕttalk, I didnÕt eat, I didnÕt sleep, I didnÕt interact with anyone,
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 7 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95and I became
isolated from the ones I loved most. For over aweek after the incident, I didnÕt get any calls
or updates aboutthat night or what happened to me. The only symbol thatproved that it
hadnÕt just been a bad dream, was the sweatshirtfrom the hospital in my drawer.One day, I
was at work, scrolling through the news on myphone, and came across an article. In it, I
read and learned forthe first time about how I was found unconscious, with my
hairdisheveled, long necklace wrapped around my neck, bra pulledout of my dress, dress
pulled off over my shoulders and pulledup above my waist, that I was butt naked all the way
down tomy boots, legs spread apart, and had been penetrated by aforeign object by
someone I did not recognize. This was how Ilearned what happened to me, sitting at my
6. desk reading thenews at work. I learned what happened to me the same timeeveryone else
in the world learned what happened to me. ThatÕswhen the pine needles in my hair made
sense, they didnÕt fallfrom a tree. He had taken off my underwear, his fingers hadbeen
inside of me. I donÕt even know this person. I still donÕtknow this person. When I read
about me like this, I said, thiscanÕt be me, this canÕt be me. I could not digest or accept any
ofthis information. I could not imagine my family having to readabout this online. I kept
reading. In the next paragraph, I readsomething that I will never forgive; I read that
according tohim, I liked it. I liked it. Again, I do not have words for thesefeelings.ItÕs like if
you were to read an article"And then,
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 8 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95where a car was
hit, and founddented, in a ditch. But maybe the carenjoyed being hit. Maybe the othercar
didnÕt mean to hit it, just bump itup a little bit. Cars get in accidentsall the time, people
arenÕt alwayspaying attention, can we really saywhoÕs at fault.And then, at the bottom of
thearticle, after I learned about thegraphic details of my own sexualassault, the article listed
hisswimming times. She was foundbreathing, unresponsive with herunderwear six inches
away from herbare stomach curled in fetal position.By the way, heÕs really good
atswimming. Throw in my mile time ifthatÕs what weÕre doing. IÕm good at cooking, put
that in there, Ithink the end is where you list your extracurriculars to cancelout all the
sickening things thatÕve happened.The night the news came out I sat my parents down and
toldthem that I had been assaulted, to not look at the news becauseitÕs upsetting, just know
that IÕm okay, IÕm right here, and IÕmokay. But halfway through telling them, my mom
had to holdme because I could no longer stand up.The night after it happened, he said he
didnÕt know my name,at thebottom ofthe article,after Ilearnedabout thegraphicdetails
ofmy ownsexualassault, thearticle listedhisswimmingtimes."
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 9 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95said he wouldnÕt
be able to identify my face in a lineup, didnÕtmention any dialogue between us, no words,
only dancing andkissing. Dancing is a cute term; was it snapping fingers andtwirling
dancing, or just bodies grinding up against each otherin a crowded room? I wonder if
kissing was just faces sloppilypressed up against each other? When the detective asked if
hehad planned on taking me back to his dorm, he said no. Whenthe detective asked how we
ended up behind the dumpster, hesaid he didnÕt know. He admitted to kissing other girls at
thatparty, one of whom was my own sister who pushed him away.He admitted to wanting
to hook up with someone. I was thewounded antelope of the herd, completely alone
andvulnerable, physically unable to fend for myself, and he choseme. Sometimes I think, if I
hadnÕt gone, then this neverwouldÕve happened. But then I realized, it would
havehappened, just to somebody else. You were about to enter fouryears of access to drunk
girls and parties, and if this is the footyou started off on, then it is right you did not continue.
Thenight after it happened, he said he thought I liked it because Irubbed his back. A back
rub.Never mentioned me voicing consent, never mentioned us evenspeaking, a back rub.
7. One more time, in public news, I learnedthat my ass and vagina were completely exposed
outside, mybreasts had been groped, fingers had been jabbed inside mealong with pine
needles and debris, my bare skin and head hadbeen rubbing against the ground behind a
dumpster, while anerect freshman was humping my half naked, unconscious body.But I
donÕt remember, so how do I prove I didnÕt like it.
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 10 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95I thought thereÕs
no way this is going to trial; there werewitnesses, there was dirt in my body, he ran but was
caught.HeÕs going to settle, formally apologize, and we will both moveon. Instead, I was
told he hired a powerful attorney, expertwitnesses, private investigators who were going to
try and finddetails about my personal life to use against me, find loopholesin my story to
invalidate me and my sister, in order to show thatthis sexual assault was in fact a
misunderstanding. That he wasgoing to go to any length to convince the world he had
simplybeen confused.I was not only told that I was assaulted, I was told that becauseI
couldnÕt remember, I technically could not prove it wasunwanted. And that distorted me,
damaged me, almost brokeme. It is the saddest type of confusion to be told I was
assaultedand nearly raped, blatantly out in the open, but we donÕt knowif it counts as
assault yet. I had to fight for an entire year tomake it clear that there was something wrong
with thissituation."I was pummeled with narrowed,pointed questions that dissectedmy
personal life, love life, past life,family life, inane questions,accumulating trivial details to
tryand find an excuse for this guy whohad me half naked before even
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 11 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95When I was told
to be prepared in case we didnÕt win, I said, IcanÕt prepare for that. He was guilty the
minute I woke up. Noone can talk me out of the hurt he caused me. Worst of all, I
waswarned, because he now knows you donÕt remember, he is goingto get to write the
script. He can say whatever he wants and noone can contest it. I had no power, I had no
voice, I wasdefenseless. My memory loss would be used against me. Mytestimony was weak,
was incomplete, and I was made to believethat perhaps, I am not enough to win this. His
attorneyconstantly reminded the jury, the only one we can believe isBrock, because she
doesnÕt remember. That helplessness wastraumatizing.Instead of taking time to heal, I was
taking time to recall thenight in excruciating detail, in order to prepare for theattorneyÕs
questions that would be invasive, aggressive, anddesigned to steer me off course, to
contradict myself, my sister,phrased in ways to manipulate my answers. Instead of
hisattorney saying, Did you notice any abrasions? He said, YoudidnÕt notice any abrasions,
right? This was a game of strategy,as if I could be tricked out of my own worth. The sexual
assaulthad been so clear, but instead, here I was at the trial, answeringquestions like:How
old are you? How much do you weigh? What did you eatthat day? Well what did you have
for dinner? Who madebothering to ask for my name. "
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 12 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
8. the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95dinner? Did you
drink with dinner? No, not even water? Whendid you drink? How much did you drink?
What container didyou drink out of? Who gave you the drink? How much do youusually
drink? Who dropped you off at this party? At whattime? But where exactly? What were you
wearing? Why wereyou going to this party? WhatÕ d you do when you got there?Are you
sure you did that? But what time did you do that?What does this text mean? Who were you
texting? When didyou urinate? Where did you urinate? With whom did youurinate outside?
Was your phone on silent when your sistercalled? Do you remember silencing it? Really
because on page53 IÕd like to point out that you said it was set to ring. Did youdrink in
college? You said you were a party animal? Howmany times did you black out? Did you
party at frats? Are youserious with your boyfriend? Are you sexually active withhim? When
did you start dating? Would you ever cheat? Doyou have a history of cheating? What do you
mean when yousaid you wanted to reward him? Do you remember what timeyou woke up?
Were you wearing your cardigan? What colorwas your cardigan? Do you remember any
more from thatnight? No? Okay, well, weÕll let Brock fill it in.I was pummeled with
narrowed, pointed questions thatdissected my personal life, love life, past life, family life,
inanequestions, accumulating trivial details to try and find an excusefor this guy who had
me half naked before even bothering to askfor my name. After a physical assault, I was
assaulted withquestions designed to attack me, to say see, her facts donÕt lineup, sheÕs out
of her mind, sheÕs practically an alcoholic, sheprobably wanted to hook up, heÕs like an
athlete right, they were
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 13 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95both drunk,
whatever, the hospital stuff she remembers is afterthe fact, why take it into account, Brock
has a lot at stake so heÕshaving a really hard time right now.And then it came time for him
to testify and I learned what itmeant to be revictimized. I want to remind you, the night
afterit happened he said he never planned to take me back to hisdorm. He said he didnÕt
know why we were behind a dumpster.He got up to leave because he wasnÕt feeling well
when he wassuddenly chased and attacked. Then he learned I could notremember.So one
year later, as predicted, a new dialogue emerged. Brockhad a strange new story, almost
sounded like a poorly writtenyoung adult novel with kissing and dancing and hand
holdingand lovingly tumbling onto the ground, and most importantlyin this new story, there
was suddenly consent. One year afterthe incident, he remembered, oh yeah, by the way she
actuallysaid yes, to everything, so.He said he had asked if I wanted to dance. Apparently I
saidyes. HeÕd asked if I wanted to go to his dorm, I said yes. Then heasked if he could finger
me and I said yes. Most guys donÕt ask,can I finger you? Usually thereÕs a natural
progression of things,unfolding consensually, not a Q and A. But apparently I grantedfull
permission. HeÕs in the clear. Even in his story, I only said atotal of three words, yes yes yes,
before he had me half naked onthe ground. Future reference, if you are confused about
whethera girl can consent, see if she can speak an entire sentence. YoucouldnÕt even do
that. Just one coherent string of words. Where
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
9. AttackerPage 14 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95was the
confusion? This is common sense, human decency.According to him, the only reason we
were on the ground wasbecause I fell down. Note; if a girl falls down help her get backup. If
she is too drunk to even walk and falls down, do notmount her, hump her, take off her
underwear, and insert yourhand inside her vagina. If a girl falls down help her up. If she
iswearing a cardigan over her dress don't take it off so that youcan touch her breasts. Maybe
she is cold, maybe that's why shewore the cardigan.Next in the story, two Swedes on
bicycles approached you andyou ran. When they tackled you why didnÕt say,
ÒStop!EverythingÕs okay, go ask her, sheÕs right over there, sheÕll tellyou.Ó I mean you
had just asked for my consent, right? I wasawake, right? When the policeman arrived and
interviewed theevil Swede who tackled you, he was crying so hard he couldnÕtspeak
because of what heÕd seen.Your attorney has repeatedly pointed out, well we donÕt
knowexactly when she became unconscious. And youÕre right, maybeI was still fluttering
my eyes and wasnÕt completely limp yet.That was never the point. I was too drunk to speak
English, toodrunk to consent way before I was on the ground. I should havenever been
touched in the first place. Brock stated, ÒAt no timedid I see that she was not responding. If
at any time I thoughtshe was not responding, I would have stopped immediately.ÓHereÕs
the thing; if your plan was to stop only when I becameunresponsive, then you still do not
understand. You didnÕt evenstop when I was unconscious anyway! Someone else stopped
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 15 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95you. Two guys on
bikes noticed I wasnÕt moving in the dark andhad to tackle you. How did you not notice
while on top of me?You said, you would have stopped and gotten help. You say that,but I
want you to explain how you wouldÕve helped me, step bystep, walk me through this. I
want to know, if those evil Swedeshad not found me, how the night would have played out. I
amasking you; Would you have pulled my underwear back on overmy boots? Untangled the
necklace wrapped around my neck?Closed my legs, covered me? Pick the pine needles from
myhair? Asked if the abrasions on my neck and bottom hurt?Would you then go find a
friend and say, Will you help me gether somewhere warm and soft? I donÕt sleep when I
think aboutthe way it could have gone if the two guys had never come.What would have
happened to me? ThatÕs what youÕll neverhave a good answer for, thatÕs what you canÕt
explain even aftera year.On top of all this, he claimed that I orgasmed after one minuteof
digital penetration. The nurse said there had been abrasions,lacerations, and dirt in my
genitalia. Was that before or after Icame?To sit under oath and inform all of us, that yes I
wanted it, yes Ipermitted it, and that you are the true victim attacked bySwedes for reasons
unknown to you is appalling, is demented,is selfish, is damaging. It is enough to be suffering.
It is anotherthing to have someone ruthlessly working to diminish thegravity of validity of
this suffering.My family had to see pictures of my head strapped to a gurney
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 16 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95full of pine
10. needles, of my body in the dirt with my eyes closed,hair messed up, limbs bent, and dress
hiked up. And even afterthat, my family had to listen to your attorney say the pictureswere
after the fact, we can dismiss them. To say, yes her nurseconfirmed there was redness and
abrasions inside her,significant trauma to her genitalia, but thatÕs what happenswhen you
finger someone, and heÕs already admitted to that. Tolisten to your attorney attempt to
paint a picture of me, the faceof girls gone wild, as if somehow that would make it so that
Ihad this coming for me. To listen to him say I sounded drunkon the phone because IÕm
silly and thatÕs my goofy way ofspeaking. To point out that in the voicemail, I said I
wouldreward my boyfriend and we all know what I was thinking. Iassure you my rewards
program is non transferable, especiallyto any nameless man that approaches me.He has
done irreversible damage tome and my family during the trialand we have sat silently,
listening tohim shape the evening. But in theend, his unsupported statements andhis
attorneyÕs twisted logic fooled noone. The truth won, the truth spokefor itself.You are
guilty. Twelve jurorsconvicted you guilty of three felonycounts beyond reasonable
doubt,thatÕs twelve votes per count, thirty -"This is nota story ofanotherdrunkcollegehook
up withpoordecisionmaking.Assault isnot an
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 17 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95six yeses
confirming guilt, thatÕs onehundred percent, unanimous guilt.And I thought finally it is
over, finally he will own up to what hedid, truly apologize, we will both move on and get
better. Then Iread your statement.If you are hoping that one of my organs will implode from
angerand I will die, IÕm almost there. You are very close. This is not astory of another drunk
college hookup with poor decisionmaking. Assault is not an accident. Somehow, you still
donÕt getit. Somehow, you still sound confused. I will now read portionsof the defendantÕs
statement and respond to them.You said, Being drunk I just couldnÕt make the
bestdecisions and neither could she.Alcohol is not an excuse. Is it a factor? Yes. But alcohol
was notthe one who stripped me, fingered me, had my head draggingagainst the ground,
with me almost fully naked. Having toomuch to drink was an amateur mistake that I admit
to, but it isnot criminal. Everyone in this room has had a night where theyhave regretted
drinking too much, or knows someone close tothem who has had a night where they have
regretted drinkingtoo much. Regretting drinking is not the same as regrettingsexual assault.
We were both drunk, the difference is I did nottake off your pants and underwear, touch
you inappropriately,and run away. ThatÕs the difference.You said, If I wanted to get to
know her, I should haveasked for her number, rather than asking her to goback to my
room.accident."
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 18 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95IÕm not mad
because you didnÕt ask for my number. Even if youdid know me, I would not want to be in
this situation. My ownboyfriend knows me, but if he asked to finger me behind adumpster, I
would slap him. No girl wants to be in thissituation. Nobody. I donÕt care if you know their
phone numberor not.You said, I stupidly thought it was okay for me to dowhat everyone
11. around me was doing, which wasdrinking. I was wrong.Again, you were not wrong for
drinking. Everyone around youwas not sexually assaulting me. You were wrong for doing
whatnobody else was doing, which was pushing your erect dick inyour pants against my
naked, defenseless body concealed in adark area, where partygoers could no longer see or
protect me,and my own sister could not find me. Sipping fireball is notyour crime. Peeling
off and discarding my underwear like acandy wrapper to insert your finger into my body, is
where youwent wrong. Why am I still explaining this.You said, During the trial I didnÕt
want to victimize herat all. That was just my attorney and his way ofapproaching the
case.Your attorney is not your scapegoat, he represents you. Didyour attorney say some
incredulously infuriating, degradingthings? Absolutely. He said you had an erection,
because it wascold.You said, you are in the process of establishing a
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 19 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95program for high
school and college students in whichyou speak about your experience to Òspeak out
againstthe college campus drinking culture and the sexualpromiscuity that goes along with
that."Campus drinking culture. ThatÕs what weÕre speaking outagainst? You think thatÕs
what IÕve spent the past year fightingfor? Not awareness about campus sexual assault, or
rape, orlearning to recognize consent. Campus drinking culture. Downwith Jack Daniels.
Down with Skyy Vodka. If you want talk topeople about drinking go to an AA meeting. You
realize, havinga drinking problem is different than drinking and thenforcefully trying to
have sex with someone? Show men how torespect women, not how to drink less.Drinking
culture and the sexual promiscuity that goes alongwith that. Goes along with that, like a side
effect, like fries onthe side of your order. Where does promiscuity even come intoplay? I
donÕt see headlines that read, Brock Turner, Guilty ofdrinking too much and the sexual
promiscuity that goes alongwith that. Campus Sexual Assault. ThereÕs your first
powerpointslide. Rest assured, if you fail to fix the topic of your talk, I willfollow you to
every school you go to and give a follow uppresentation.Lastly you said, I want to show
people that one night ofdrinking can ruin a life.A life, one life, yours, you forgot about mine.
Let me rephrasefor you, I want to show people that one night of drinking canruin two lives.
You and me. You are the cause, I am the effect.
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 20 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95You have dragged
me through this hell with you, dipped meback into that night again and again. You knocked
down bothour towers, I collapsed at the same time you did. If you think Iwas spared, came
out unscathed, that today I ride off intosunset, while you suffer the greatest blow, you are
mistaken.Nobody wins. We have all been devastated, we have all beentrying to find some
meaning in all of this suffering. Yourdamage was concrete; stripped of titles, degrees,
enrollment.My damage was internal, unseen, I carry it with me. You tookaway my worth, my
privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, myintimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until
today.See one thing we have in common is that we were both unableto get up in the
morning. I am no stranger to suffering. Youmade me a victim. In newspapers my name was
12. Òunconsciousintoxicated womanÓ, ten syllables, and nothing more than that.For a while, I
believed that that was all I was. I had to forcemyself to relearn my real name, my identity.
To relearn that thisis not all that I am. That I am not just a drunk victim at a fratparty found
behind a dumpster, while you are the All Americanswimmer at a top university, innocent
until proven guilty, withso much at stake. I am a human being who has been
irreversiblyhurt, my life was put on hold for over a year, waiting to figureout if I was worth
something.My independence, natural joy, gentleness, and steady lifestyle Ihad been enjoying
became distorted beyond recognition. Ibecame closed off, angry, self deprecating, tired,
irritable,empty. The isolation at times was unbearable. You cannot giveme back the life I
had before that night either. While you worry
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 21 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95about your
shattered reputation, I refrigerated spoons everynight so when I woke up, and my eyes
were puffy from crying, Iwould hold the spoons to my eyes to lessen the swelling so thatI
could see. I showed up an hour late to work every morning,excused myself to cry in the
stairwells, I can tell you all the bestplaces in that building to cry where no one can hear you.
Thepain became so bad that I had to explain the private details tomy boss to let her know
why I was leaving. I needed timebecause continuing day to day was not possible. I used
mysavings to go as far away as I could possibly be. I did not returnto work full time as I
knew IÕd have to take weeks off in thefuture for the hearing and trial, that were constantly
beingrescheduled. My life was put on hold for over a year, mystructure had collapsed.I
canÕt sleep alone at night without having a light on, like a fiveyear old, because I have
nightmares of being touched where Icannot wake up, I did this thing where I waited until
the suncame up and I felt safe enough to sleep. For three months, Iwent to bed at six
oÕclock in the morning.I used to pride myself on my independence, now I am afraid togo on
walks in the evening, to attend social events with drinkingamong friends where I should be
comfortable being. I havebecome a little barnacle always needing to be at someoneÕs
side,to have my boyfriend standing next to me, sleeping beside me,protecting me. It is
embarrassing how feeble I feel, how timidlyI move through life, always guarded, ready to
defend myself,ready to be angry.
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 22 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95You have no idea
how hard I have worked to rebuild parts of methat are still weak. It took me eight months to
even talk aboutwhat happened. I could no longer connect with friends, witheveryone
around me. I would scream at my boyfriend, my ownfamily whenever they brought this up.
You never let me forgetwhat happened to me. At the of end of the hearing, the trial, Iwas too
tired to speak. I would leave drained, silent. I would gohome turn off my phone and for days
I would not speak. Youbought me a ticket to a planet where I lived by myself. Everytime a
new article come out, I lived with the paranoia that myentire hometown would find out and
know me as the girl whogot assaulted. I didnÕt want anyoneÕs pity and am still learningto
accept victim as part of my identity. You made my ownhometown an uncomfortable place to
13. be.You cannot give me back my sleepless nights. The way I havebroken down sobbing
uncontrollably if IÕm watching a movieand a woman is harmed, to say it lightly, this
experience hasexpanded my empathy for other victims. I have lost weight fromstress, when
people would comment I told them IÕve beenrunning a lot lately. There are times I did not
want to betouched. I have to relearn that I am not fragile, I am capable, Iam wholesome, not
just livid and weak.When I see my younger sister hurting, when she is unable tokeep up in
school, when she is deprived of joy, when she is notsleeping, when she is crying so hard on
the phone she is barelybreathing, telling me over and over again she is sorry for leavingme
alone that night, sorry sorry sorry, when she feels more guiltthan you, then I do not forgive
you. That night I had called her
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 23 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95to try and find
her, but you found me first. Your attorney'sclosing statement began, "[Her sister] said she
was fine andwho knows her better than her sister." You tried to use my ownsister against
me? Your points of attack were so weak, so low, itwas almost embarrassing. You do not
touch her.You should have never done this to me. Secondly, you shouldhave never made me
fight so long to tell you, you should havenever done this to me. But here we are. The damage
is done, noone can undo it. And now we both have a choice. We can let thisdestroy us, I can
remain angry and hurt and you can be indenial, or we can face it head on, I accept the pain,
you acceptthe punishment, and we move on.Your life is not over, you have decades of years
ahead to rewriteyour story. The world is huge, it is so much bigger than PaloAlto and
Stanford, and you will make a space for yourself in itwhere you can be useful and happy. But
right now, you do notget to shrug your shoulders and be confused anymore. You donot get
to pretend that there were no red flags. You have beenconvicted of violating me,
intentionally, forcibly, sexually, withmalicious intent, and all you can admit to is consuming
alcohol.Do not talk about the sad way your life was upturned becausealcohol made you do
bad things. Figure out how to takeresponsibility for your own conduct.Now to address the
sentencing. When I read the probationofficerÕs report, I was in disbelief, consumed by
anger whicheventually quieted down to profound sadness. My statementshave been
slimmed down to distortion and taken out of context.
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 24 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95I fought hard
during this trial and will not have the outcomeminimized by a probation officer who
attempted to evaluate mycurrent state and my wishes in a fifteen minute conversation,the
majority of which was spent answering questions I hadabout the legal system. The context
is also important. Brock hadyet to issue a statement, and I had not read his remarks.My life
has been on hold for over a year, a year of anger,anguish and uncertainty, until a jury of my
peers rendered ajudgment that validated the injustices I had endured. HadBrock admitted
guilt and remorse and offered to settle early on,I would have considered a lighter sentence,
respecting hishonesty, grateful to be able to move our lives forward. Insteadhe took the risk
of going to trial, added insult to injury andforced me to relive the hurt as details about my
14. personal lifeand sexual assault were brutally dissected before the public. Hepushed me and
my family through a year of inexplicable,unnecessary suffering, and should face the
consequences ofchallenging his crime, of putting my pain into question, ofmaking us wait so
long for justice.I told the probation officer I do not want Brock to rot away inprison. I did
not say he does not deserve to be behind bars. Theprobation officerÕs recommendation of a
year or less in countyjail is a soft timeout, a mockery of the seriousness of hisassaults, an
insult to me and all women. It gives the messagethat a stranger can be inside you without
proper consent and hewill receive less than what has been defined as the
minimumsentence. Probation should be denied. I also told the probationofficer that what I
truly wanted was for Brock to get it, to
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 25 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95understand and
admit to his wrongdoing.Unfortunately, after reading the defendantÕs report, I amseverely
disappointed and feel that he has failed to exhibitsincere remorse or responsibility for his
conduct. I fullyrespected his right to a trial, but even after twelve jurorsunanimously
convicted him guilty of three felonies, all he hasadmitted to doing is ingesting alcohol.
Someone who cannottake full accountability for his actions does not deserve amitigating
sentence. It is deeply offensive that he would try anddilute rape with a suggestion of
Òpromiscuity.Ó By definitionrape is the absence of promiscuity, rape is the absence
ofconsent, and it perturbs me deeply that he canÕt even see thatdistinction.The probation
officer factored in that the defendant is youthfuland has no prior convictions. In my opinion,
he is old enough toknow what he did was wrong. When you are eighteen in thiscountry you
can go to war. When you are nineteen, you are oldenough to pay the consequences for
attempting to rapesomeone. He is young, but he is old enough to know better.As this is a
first offence I can see where leniency would beckon.On the other hand, as a society, we
cannot forgive everyoneÕsfirst sexual assault or digital rape. It doesnÕt make sense.
Theseriousness of rape has to be communicated clearly, we shouldnot create a culture that
suggests we learn that rape is wrongthrough trial and error. The consequences of sexual
assaultneeds to be severe enough that people feel enough fear toexercise good judgment
even if they are drunk, severe enough
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 26 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95to be
preventative.The probation officer weighed the fact that he has surrendereda hard earned
swimming scholarship. How fast Brock swimsdoes not lessen the severity of what happened
to me, andshould not lessen the severity of his punishment. If a first timeoffender from an
underprivileged background was accused ofthree felonies and displayed no accountability
for his actionsother than drinking, what would his sentence be? The fact thatBrock was an
athlete at a private university should not be seenas an entitlement to leniency, but as an
opportunity to send amessage that sexual assault is against the law regardless ofsocial
class.The Probation Officer has stated that this case, when comparedto other crimes of
similar nature, may be considered lessserious due to the defendantÕs level of intoxication.
15. It feltserious. ThatÕs all IÕm going to say.What has he done to demonstrate that he deserves
a break? Hehas only apologized for drinking and has yet to define what hedid to me as
sexual assault, he has revictimized me continually,relentlessly. He has been found guilty of
three serious feloniesand it is time for him to accept the consequences of his actions.He will
not be quietly excused.He is a lifetime sex registrant. That doesnÕt expire. Just likewhat he
did to me doesnÕt expire, doesnÕt just go away after a setnumber of years. It stays with me,
itÕs part of my identity, it hasforever changed the way I carry myself, the way I live the rest
ofmy life.
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 27 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95To conclude, I
want to say thank you. To everyone from theintern who made me oatmeal when I woke up
at the hospitalthat morning, to the deputy who waited beside me, to thenurses who calmed
me, to the detective who listened to me andnever judged me, to my advocates who stood
unwaveringlybeside me, to my therapist who taught me to find courage invulnerability, to
my boss for being kind and understanding, tomy incredible parents who teach me how to
turn pain intostrength, to my grandma who snuck chocolate into thecourtroom throughout
this to give to me, my friends whoremind me how to be happy, to my boyfriend who is
patient andloving, to my unconquerable sister who is the other half of myheart, to Alaleh,
my idol, who fought tirelessly and neverdoubted me. Thank you to everyone involved in the
trial fortheir time and attention. Thank you to girls across the nationthat wrote cards to my
DA to give to me, so many strangers whocared for me.Most importantly, thank you to the
two men who saved me,who I have yet to meet. I sleep with two bicycles that I drewtaped
above my bed to remind myself there are heroes in thisstory. That we are looking out for
one another. To have knownall of these people, to have felt their protection and love,
issomething I will never forget.And finally, to girls everywhere, I am with you. On nights
whenyou feel alone, I am with you. When people doubt you ordismiss you, I am with you. I
fought everyday for you. So neverstop fighting, I believe you. As the author Anne Lamott
oncewrote, "Lighthouses donÕt go running all over an island looking
4/18/18, 11'32 AMHere's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her
AttackerPage 28 of 28https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-
the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.txEwDmkXY#.kh2bKpV95Katie Baker is an
investigative reporter for BuzzFeed News and is basedin London.Contact Katie J.M. Baker at
katie.baker@buzzfeed.com.Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.for boats to save; they just
stand there shining." Although IcanÕt save every boat, I hope that by speaking today,
youabsorbed a small amount of light, a small knowing that youcanÕt be silenced, a small
satisfaction that justice was served, asmall assurance that we are getting somewhere, and a
big, bigknowing that you are important, unquestionably, you areuntouchable, you are
beautiful, you are to be valued, respected,undeniably, every minute of every day, you are
powerful andnobody can take that away from you. To girls everywhere, I amwith you.
Thank you.News moves fast. Keep up with theBuzzFeed News daily email!Your email
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