Brock Turner’s statement to the judge that let him off on a six month sentence has been released by The Guardian, and it reveals how he understands his own actions. The convicted sexual assailant placed a lot of the blame on the drinking and party culture at Stanford university.
In the letter, Turner starts with how much he regrets the events of that night – how much it has changed his life and everyone around him. But then he details how he would change his actions in the future.
“At this point in my life, I never want to have a drop of alcohol again. I never want to attend a social gathering that involves alcohol or any situation where people make decisions based on the substances they have consumed. I never want to experience being in a position where it will have a negative impact on my life or someone else’s ever again.”
This sentiment is further expressed when he explains how he would advise others in a similar situation in the future, saying that the drinking was the key factor in his decision making when he sexually assaulted his victim.
“I know I can impact and change people’s attitudes towards the culture surrounded by binge drinking and sexual promiscuity that protrudes through what people think is at the core of being a college student. I want to demolish the assumption that drinking and partying are what make up a college lifestyle. I made a mistake, I drank too much, and my decisions hurt someone. But I never ever meant to intentionally hurt [redacted]. My poor decision making and excessive drinking hurt someone that night and I wish I could just take it all back.”
Finally, he explains that he wants to use his time out of jail to make positive change in the world. Nowhere in the letter does he accept that his sexual assault on the victim could have been due to other attitudes he holds that were not influenced by the partying or drinking culture at college.
“I want no one, male or female, to have to experience the destructive consequences of making decisions while under the influence of alcohol. I want to be a voice of reason in a time where people’s attitudes and preconceived notions about partying and drinking have already been established. I want to let young people know, as I did not, that things can go from fun to ruined in just one night.”
After the victim released a powerful statement to her assailant that went viral, she has revealed in a phone interview why it’s so important that Turner understands how serious his actions were.
“People need to know that this way of thinking is dangerous. It’s threatening. More than my emotions, it’s my safety, everyone else’s safety. It’s not just me feeling sad and defeated. It’s honest fear.”
Read Turner’s full letter to the judge who has just been recalled here.
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