Empowering the everywoman

Brock Turner’s victim spoke truly when she claimed she was everywoman. She voices a story of rape that our society doesn’t want to hear. Rape is constantly scattered across our newspapers. We are constantly told of women being savagely raped by criminals, by psychopaths and by sexual offenders, but never by normal men.

Very rarely are we shown the rape that most victims experience. Rape isn’t the back-alley experience we so often portray it as, and the Stanford rape case displays that quite evidently. It isn’t a stranger attacking you, it’s far more normal than that, rape happens at house parties we go to, in bedrooms we stay in, to friends we know.

The Stanford case represents all these rapes, the ‘constable’ rapes that are so often silenced by a justice system that is not designed to protect them. She represents the victims who weren’t raped by a ‘crazy’ man, but by their boyfriends, by their husbands, by their friends, by men at parties who took advantage of their stage. The women who were interrogated for being raped, who were questioned and belittled by authorities when they reported it, and this anonymous woman is fighting back with force.

She voices a story of rape that our society doesn’t want to hear

The battle of victim against the rapist is in full swing and the notoriety that this rapist has retained for his actions demonstrates the beginnings of a key chance in our societies attitude towards rape. The judge’s sentence may suggest otherwise and there are plenty who contest the case, but these people are being silenced by the support.

This rapist is being shamed for eternity because of his crimes, and while justice may not be served in the law courts, it will be on the streets. Brock Tuner is an example to all potential rapists. This case is giving power to women to stand up, to tell their stories and to be given the credit and respect they deserve.

There are plenty who contest the case, but these people are being silenced by the support

We know nothing about the victim and this is why she has so much power; we do not know how she dressed, we do know her ethnicity, we do not know her age or her IQ. We do not know anything about her and thus she cannot be categorised and pushed aside like victim have been before.

We can’t blame her being a ‘slut’, we can’t say she was dressed inappropriately; we cannot call her any names or throw insults at her because she is everywoman. She is every victim of rape launching back at every rapist and so, despite the six month prison sentence given by Turner’s judge, I believe this case shows great promise for future women, a future where rape is rape and consent is never implied only given.

We do not know anything about her and thus she cannot be categorised and pushed aside like victim have been before

This case will empower victims, both male and female, to speak out and demand justice. It will hopefully stop future Turner’s from action on their impulses because they have an understanding of the true consequences of the so-called “twenty minutes of action”.