[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                   STANFORD RAPE CASE AND SENTENCING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Speier) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, these are the facts: Brock Turner was found 
on top of an unconscious woman whose clothing he had removed. He tried 
to run away. The woman later found pine needles and dirt in her 
genitalia.
  This is also a fact: Brock Turner was sentenced to a mere 6 months in 
county jail for committing the violent crime of rape, of which Turner 
will probably serve 3 months. Why? Because the judge said a longer 
sentence would have a ``severe impact'' on Turner. A severe impact? 
What a travesty.
  All I could think of was Proverbs, which says: ``A righteous man 
falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt 
spring.''
  Our justice system must become better than this. Our educational 
system must become better than this. People must understand that rape 
is one of the most violent crimes a person can commit and not as Mr. 
Turner's father said, ``20 minutes of action.''
  I am working on several pieces of legislation to help survivors of 
sexual assault and harassment, including the HALT Act to strengthen 
prevention and enforcement efforts on campuses. But today I want to 
honor the courage of the woman who survived Brock Turner's violent 
assault. Her bravery inspires me, as I hope it will inspire you. I only 
have time to read an excerpt, but I encourage you to read the entire 
statement, all 7,000 words.
  ``You don't know me, but you've been inside me, and that's why we're 
here today.''
  ``I was found unconscious, with my hair dishevelled, long necklace 
wrapped around my neck, bra pulled out of my dress, dress pulled off 
over my shoulders and pulled up above my waist, that I was butt naked 
all the way down to my boots, legs spread apart, and had been 
penetrated by a foreign object by someone I did not recognise.''
  ``You are guilty. Twelve jurors convicted you guilty of three felony 
counts beyond reasonable doubt, that's twelve votes per count, thirty 
six yeses confirming guilt, that's one hundred percent, unanimous 
guilt.''
  ``Alcohol is not an excuse . . . alcohol was not the one who stripped 
me, fingered me, had my head dragging against the ground, with me 
almost fully naked.''
  ``Regretting drinking is not the same as regretting sexual assault. 
We were both drunk, the difference is I did not take off your pants and 
underwear, touch you inappropriately, and run away. That's the 
difference.''
  ``How fast Brock swims does not lessen the severity of what happened 
to me, and should not lessen the severity of his punishment. If a 
first-time offender from an underprivileged background was accused of 
three felonies and displayed no accountability for his actions other 
than drinking, what would his sentence be?
  ``The fact that Brock was an athlete at a private university should 
not be seen as an entitlement to leniency, but as an opportunity to 
send a message that sexual assault is against the law regardless of 
social class.''
  ``. . . 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. 
As the author Anne Lamott once wrote, `Lighthouses don't go running all 
over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there 
shining.'
  ``Although I can't save every boat, I hope that by speaking today, 
you absorbed a small amount of light, a small knowing that . . . 
justice was served, a small assurance that we are getting somewhere, 
and a big, big knowing that you are important, unquestionably, you are 
untouchable, you are beautiful, you are to be valued, respected, 
undeniably, every minute of every day, you are powerful and nobody can 
take that away from you.''

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