Rape is a heinous crime. Some have reported that they would rather be murdered than raped because they do not want to live with the trauma and shame of being raped. Needless to say, rape is a serious crime that deserves harsh punishment. Brock Turner was a student athlete at Stanford University. In March 2016, he was convicted of felony sexual assault for violating an unconscious woman, which carried a potential prison term of up to 14 years. Santa Clara County Superior Court judge Aaron Persky handed down a sentence of 6 months in jail, 3 years of probation, and mandatory participation in a sex offender rehabilitation program and required Turner to register as a sex offender. Comparatively speaking, this sentence was lenient, and many critics considered it a slap on the wrist for such a serious offense. Even so, Turner appealed his sentence and sought to have his conviction overturned in 2018. His appeal was denied. This case resulted in the recall of Judge Persky by voters in 2018.
1. Put yourself in the victim’s shoes. Did this punishment fit the crime, or was it a miscarriage of justice?
2. Do you think a sentence such as Turner’s provides enough of a deterrent threat to dissuade sexual assault?
3. Are rapists or potential rapists responsive to such deterrence threats? Why or why not?
