Congress to read impact statement written by Stanford sexual assault victim
STANFORD, Calif. (KGO) -- Congresswoman Jackie Speier says they're arranging a special hour next week for members of the House to read the powerful letter written by the victim in the Stanford sexual assault.
Speier says the victim's letter communicates the agony of sexual assault better than anyone else can and reading it on the House floor is more than a symbol. Speier says she's heard from Republicans and Democrats, men and woman who will all read portions of the victim's impact statement out loud. She says it's nearly unprecedented and she hopes it's just the first step.
RELATED: Key witness in Stanford sexual assault case speaks out
Former Stanford student Brock Turner has become the face of campus sexual assault. And today two of his defenders are apologizing for the letters of support they sent to his judge.
Turner's high school friend Leslie Rasmussen is part of the band Good English. Her letter defending Turner went viral and venues quickly took notice -- the band has been dropped from several gigs. On her Facebook page Rasmussen wrote that she's deeply sorry.
RELATED: Prosecutors say Stanford swimmer exhibited concerning behavior prior to sexual assault
Turner's high school guidance counselor is also apologizing. She wrote Turner is absolutely undeserving of the outcome in a letter to the judge. Today she says she made a mistake.
Turner was sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster last year. He's expected to serve half that time and will be released on September 2.
In court, Turner's lawyers argued the swimmer was overwhelmed by Stanford's party culture. But documents exclusively obtained by ABC News show he seemed to drink and use drugs before arriving on campus. Most alarmingly, the prosecutors accuse Turner of being similarly aggressive with a different woman at the same frat house just a week before he assaulted his unconscious victim behind a dumpster.
RELATED: New campaign launched to remove judge in Stanford sexual assault case
The judge in the case has received death threats for the lenient sentence and there's also a movement to get him ousted.
The case has sparked a PSA made by actress Lena Dunham and the cast from her HBO show "Girls." Dunham dedicated the ad to the woman she calls "the brave survivor" in the case.
Click here for full coverage on the Brock Turner case.
