Stanford sex assault victim grateful for support

STANFORD, Calif. (KGO) -- Reaction is coming in from around the world after a Palo Alto judge gave Brock Turner, a former Stanford competitive swimmer, a short sentence for a sexual assault on campus early last year. By short, we mean six months. Critics have launched a recall drive targeting the judge.

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Online petitions at Change.org have gathered thousands of signatures calling for the removal of Judge Aaron Persky.

He gave the 20-year-old a six-month sentence, but could have given him up to 14 years for assaulting a woman on the Stanford campus.

The victim gave the court a vivid 12-page document, detailing how the crime impacted her.

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She told Turner, in part, "Assault is not an accident. This is not a story of another drunk college hookup with poor decision making. Somehow you don't get it."

The prosecutor praised the full letter as a powerful message to change attitudes about sexual assault and how the cases are handled.

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"That letter is so important and so powerful in reframing this discussion and teaching people that you can't violate a woman under any circumstance," said Deputy District Attorney Alaleh Kianerci.

By contrast, Turner's father read a statement before sentencing that his son had already paid a steep price "for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life."

The prosecutor and the district attorney do not favor recalling the judge. However, some students at Stanford have signed the petitions.

"It's very unfortunate when people see an athletic career or just someone's career in general over the lifetime of hurt and trauma that this girl experienced," said Stanford freshman Tatiana Balabanis.

The victim says she wants to remain anonymous. She is grateful that many, including one of the jurors, have expressed dismay over the short sentence.

Turner's crime is a felony and he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Click here for full coverage on the Brock Turner case.