UltraViolet Statement on Brock Turner’s Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 02, 2016
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | 516-841-1105 | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Statement on Brock Turner’s Release
Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy organization, issued the following statement on convicted rapist Brock Turner’s release:
“Brock Turner was proven guilty of raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. There were witnesses and ample evidence. But after serving only three months in jail, Turner is now free–because Judge Aaron Persky simply did not take Turner’s crime seriously.”
“Aaron Persky is a biased judge who prioritized the wellbeing of Brock Turner, a privileged white athlete, over the survivor of his crimes. Over the last few months we have seen ample evidence that Judge Persky’s bias has influenced his decisions in other cases too, and that he habitually prioritizes the interests of rapists and abusers, especially when those perpetrators are white, undermining faith in our criminal justice system.
“While Brock Turner is free because of Judge Persky, the epidemic of rape and sexual violence against women is a national problem where too often our so-called justice system excuses rapists and normalizes sexual violence against women. This is unacceptable and needs to change. Rape and sexual assault are serious crimes and should be treated as such. Survivors deserve justice.
“That’s why more than 1 million UltraViolet members from California and across the country continue to call on the California Commission on Judicial Performance to recognize Judge Persky’s dangerous bias and remove him from the bench. Only by taking on those that perpetuate rape culture can we protect women and guarantee justice for survivors of sexual assault.”
UltraViolet co-founders Nita Chaudhary and Shaunna Thomas published a piece on Medium.com this morning outlining why the California Commission on Judicial Performance should remove Judge Persky from the bench, and how Judge Persky is just one part of the US criminal justice system that perpetuates rape culture.
Read that piece here: https://medium.com/@UltraViolet/why-holding-judge-persky-accountable-matters-545187958415#.73jqs0y8x
Since news of Judge Persky’s verdict in the Brock Turner case broke, UltraViolet has:
- delivered the signatures of more than 1,000,000 UltraViolet members to the California Commission on Judicial Performance office in San Francisco on June 10th petitioning for the removal of Judge Aaron Persky;
- commissioned a plane to fly over Stanford University ahead of graduation and commencement ceremonies with a banner reading: “Protect Survivors. Not Rapists. #PerskyMustGo.”
- taken out a full-page ad in The Stanford Daily’s graduation issue inviting students and alumni to take a stand against rape culture;
- organized a letter of more than 1000 Stanford alumni calling on the Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Persky from the bench;
- commissioned a billboard to run on State Highway 92 urging Bay Area residents to call on the California Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Judge Persky.;
- organized a survivor speak-out outside the June 29th meeting of the California Commission on Judicial Performance, where survivors of sexual assault shared their stories and called for Judge Persky’s removal from the bench;
- collaborated with Courage Campaign in getting more than 350 potential jurors in Santa Clara County to pledge to never serve in Judge Persky’s courtroom;
- organized more than 1000 survivors of sexual assault in a letter calling for the California Commission on Judicial Performance to take action against Judge Persky;
- rallied outside of the California Commission on Judicial Performance and delivered giant pink slips reading, “Notice of Termination. Reason: Protecting Perpetrators, Not Survivors. #PerskyMustGo.”;
- commissioned bicycle billboards to circle the Santa Clara County civil courthouse and jail coinciding with the release of Brock Turner highlighting how because of Judge Persky, Turner served only 3 months behind bars for rape.
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UltraViolet is an online community of over 1,000,000 women and men who want to take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org