Stanford University Rejects Victim Quotes For Memorial Of Infamous Brock Turner Rape

The case of Brock Turner, a rapist notoriously granted leniency in a move that prompted considerable backlash, garnered international attention in 2015. Now, Stanford University is making a series of controversial decisions about the creation of a memorial in the area where the crime that started the outrage occurred. 

The victim of the case, identified only as Emily Doe, had offered two quotes from her moving letter written to the courts to be used in the memorial constructed on the site of the crime, according to Jezebel. Stanford University rejected both quotes and instead offered to put the out-of-context phrase "I’m okay, everything’s okay" (taken from Doe's testimony, uttered while she was attempting to calm down her emotional sister), according to Stanford professor Michele Dauber.

“Given the situation, Emily felt the best course was to decline to participate in the memorial plaque,” Dauber said.

“The Fountain Hopper statement was not a correct representation of the discussions ... Because these were confidential communications, we cannot say anything more specific about it," said a Stanford University rep to The Cut.

Relatedly, the judge who originally offered Turner the shockingly short sentence, Aaron Persky, is now facing a recall after a petition to have him removed from his position received 94,539 signatures.

“After conducting a random sampling of the 94,539 signatures submitted by a campaign to recall Judge Aaron Persky from the Santa Clara County Superior Court, the Registrar of Voters (ROV) found a sufficient number of them to be valid,” reads a statement from the Santa Clara County Superior Court.

The Turner case had sparked worldwide debates on the prominence of "rape culture" and the treatment of sexual assault perpetrators. Turner's preferential treatment in the justice system and in reporting on the crime inspired widespread feminist criticism which ackowledged the role privelege played in the both the juridical perception of the crime and the media's handling of it.

"To girls everywhere, I am with you. On nights when you feel alone, I am with you. When people doubt you or dismiss you, I am with you. I fought everyday for you. So never stop fighting, I believe you," Doe had written in her victim statement. "To girls everywhere, I am with you. Thank you."

[Photo: Getty Images]