Brock Turner, the Stanford rapist, who was only required to serve three out of his six month sentence after being found guilty of brutally assaulting a woman behind a Dumpster, was released recently because of “good behavior.”

Turner was arrested Jan. 18 after two male students came across him on top of an unconscious woman.

In a police report filed Jan. 28, Turner admitted to having sexual contact with the alleged victim but denied non consensual intercourse during the incident.

Turner sent pictures of the alleged victim’s unconscious, naked body to his friends. If he was sober enough to photograph and brag about her, he was sober enough to know exactly what he was doing.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to just six months after a jury found him guilty on three felony counts: assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated/unconscious person, penetration of an intoxicated person and penetration of an unconscious person. His crimes warrant at least 14 years in prison.   

Turner withdrew from school and will serve three years of probation. He will also have to register as a sex offender every three months and sheriff deputies will check in on him without warning.

According to the Huffington Post, in a statement Turner made to the judge, he didn’t accept any shred of responsibility for his actions. He said he “never wants to drink again” because he believes alcohol put him in this situation.

Instead of saying, “Wow I made a huge mistake. I will never try to have sex with someone again without asking first,” he blamed the whole situation on the alcohol.

The case drew national attention after the victim’s wrenching impact statement went viral.

When Turner was released protesters chanted and waved signs outside the Santa Clara County Jail. The main focus of the taunts happened to be Persky. Several speakers called for Persky to be removed from office.

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a former prosecutor who represents the San Francisco Bay area, told CNN, “There is no justice in the light sentence and early release of Brock Turner,” Swalwell said. “Are you ready to give Judge Persky the early release that he deserves?” The crowd shouted, “Yes!”

When the case first appeared on social media, it was clear that many people were outraged not only by the case itself but also issues Persky had. Even going to the lengths of saying he was concerned about the “severe impact” a state prison would have on an offender of Turner’s age.

Persky is now the target of a recall effort, and he’s removed himself from sex-assault cases.

The video of Brock Turner leaving jail is sickening. This is one of the reasons most women don’t come forward, the system fails them. The seriousness of rape cases needs to be communicated clearly throughout the community.

“You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.”

And so begins the most powerful statement on sexual assault I’ve ever heard.

Being a woman, the fear of rape is constant. Rape and sexual assault are emotional topics that can be uncomfortable to talk about. According to USA Today, 1 in 5 women are raped in their lifetime – 1 in 71 men – and sexual assaults locally increasing by 20 percent last year.

The fact that state-to-state the definition of rape is different says a lot. That means America in general doesn’t have a clear definition of what rape is.

I think America, too, doesn’t know what consent is because, according to FindLaw, it is the most used argument in the court system. When the court system starts taking the victim’s word for it – that they were raped – it would be a huge step forward.

Another major issue is victim blaming. A lot of women don’t report their incident because they don’t believe that people are going to believe them. Society, in my eyes, has come to the conclusion that it’s always the victim’s fault: whether it’s because of what she was wearing, what she may have said to the person, her relationship with the person, etc.

I’ve had conversations with my family about how to prevent a sexual assault. My father told me to cover my drink if I ever went out on a date or went to a party. My mother told me to walk with other women. In this day and age if we don’t have pepper spray, if we don’t stay in groups at a party, if we don’t do anything to prevent that type of situation then it’s our fault.

The chances of us ever knowing this young woman’s name is slim, though I would hope her statement will be shared, taught, and applauded for years to come. She ended with words of support to other victims.

“And finally, 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.”

Turner’s conviction, early release and the brave statement of his victim has taught us that no level of public debate or outrage can undo the harm he caused to an unconscious woman.