The Brock Turner / Stanford Rape Case Everyone's Talking About

You've probably already heard about this case.  It is gaining tons and tons of media coverage.  Just about everyone on Facebook is posting about it - even more so than today's Democratic Primary.
So what have we learned so far?  We've gathered some of what we think are the most important articles and videos about this for you to check out.

Probably the most powerful thing out there is the rape survivor's letter which started circulating on Friday. WARNING, this letter is a *TRIGGER ALERT*  She details events of the night when Turner sexually assaulted her behind a dumpster before two Swedish PhD students on bicycles stopped him, tackled him, called the police and got her to the hospital.  She writes about all the struggled and horrors of the aftermath of rape.  She asks for an apology - which she was not given - and speaks out against Turner's blaming of "campus drinking culture."
She writes:
"Alcohol is not an excuse. Is it a factor? Yes. But alcohol was not the one who stripped me, fingered me, had my head dragging against the ground, with me almost fully naked."

Read the whole letter here on The Guardian:
Stanford sexual assault case: victim impact statement in full

You can watch CNN Anchor Ashleigh Banfield read the letter out loud on air - an incredibly emotional and important moment for the news.
WATCH: CNN anchor reads gut-wrenching letter from Stanford rape survivor on air

Next, we thought it was powerful and insightful to hear from the graduate students who are the heroes in this story on BuzzFeed.
In Their Words: The Swedish Heroes Who Caught The Stanford Attacker

We really liked Yahoo News'
10 Reasons Why the Brock Turner Rape Case Is Even More Awful Than It Looks (spoiler: #1 is the media!)

And finally, you can petition to recall the judge Aaron Persky who gave the pitiful six-month sentence to Turner.
Remove Judge Aaron Persky from the Bench For Decision in Brock Turner rape case.
 
Often professional and college athletes are not found guilty of any crime.  We see these battles of the victim's word against the "athlete's" (AKA rapist's) and so often, the survivor is invalidated.  While the six-month sentence is ridiculous, it's progress that at least he has been convicted - Tiny tiny progress, but progress none the less.  The question is - would Turner even have been convicted if there were not the two people as witnesses?  Just something to ponder as we try to change rape culture and end victim-blaming.

We applaud the courage and strength of this rape survivor (we prefer "survivor," not "victim") to share her story and feelings.  We hope this continues to open up dialogue and create space for survivors everywhere!
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