This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/19/stanford-sexual-assault-brock-turner-victim-personal-questions
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Stanford sexual assault victim faced personal questions at trial, records show | Stanford sexual assault victim faced personal questions at trial, records show |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The Stanford sexual assault victim faced personal questions about her drinking habits, her behavior at parties and her body, according to newly released trial records that shed light on the “traumatizing” court process the woman described in her viral impact statement. | The Stanford sexual assault victim faced personal questions about her drinking habits, her behavior at parties and her body, according to newly released trial records that shed light on the “traumatizing” court process the woman described in her viral impact statement. |
| The transcripts in the case of Brock Turner, the 20-year-old swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, offer fresh insight into how the former student’s lawyers interrogated the woman he assaulted and provide a window into a criminal process that advocates say can be unfair and painful for victims. | The transcripts in the case of Brock Turner, the 20-year-old swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, offer fresh insight into how the former student’s lawyers interrogated the woman he assaulted and provide a window into a criminal process that advocates say can be unfair and painful for victims. |
| Turner’s attorney, Mike Armstrong, questioned the woman, who was not a Stanford student and was 22 years old at the time of the assault, about her drinking and partying in college, the records show. | Turner’s attorney, Mike Armstrong, questioned the woman, who was not a Stanford student and was 22 years old at the time of the assault, about her drinking and partying in college, the records show. |
| Turner was convicted of assault with intent to rape an intoxicated woman and sexually penetrating an intoxicated and unconscious person with a foreign object. Two bystanders caught him “thrusting” on top of the motionless woman outside a fraternity house by a dumpster on 18 January 2015. | Turner was convicted of assault with intent to rape an intoxicated woman and sexually penetrating an intoxicated and unconscious person with a foreign object. Two bystanders caught him “thrusting” on top of the motionless woman outside a fraternity house by a dumpster on 18 January 2015. |
| The case sparked international outrage in June when Turner was sentenced to six months in county jail, which is significantly lighter than the minimum punishment of two years in state prison prescribed by law. | The case sparked international outrage in June when Turner was sentenced to six months in county jail, which is significantly lighter than the minimum punishment of two years in state prison prescribed by law. |
| The victim’s emotional impact statement outlined the horrific details of the assault and the ensuing trauma of a prolonged trial, and the judge who gave the sentence is now facing a high-profile recall campaign. | The victim’s emotional impact statement outlined the horrific details of the assault and the ensuing trauma of a prolonged trial, and the judge who gave the sentence is now facing a high-profile recall campaign. |
| The documents released on Tuesday are from a 21 March hearing, when the victim, identified as Jane Doe, faced questions from the prosecutors and the defense attorney. | The documents released on Tuesday are from a 21 March hearing, when the victim, identified as Jane Doe, faced questions from the prosecutors and the defense attorney. |
| “At the beginning of your testimony on Friday, you gave us your height and weight. Were those numbers that you gave us what your height and weight was on January 17th of 2015?” Armstrong said at the start of his cross-examination, referring to her earlier testimony about her figure. | “At the beginning of your testimony on Friday, you gave us your height and weight. Were those numbers that you gave us what your height and weight was on January 17th of 2015?” Armstrong said at the start of his cross-examination, referring to her earlier testimony about her figure. |
| “Estimating, yes,” Jane Doe responded. | “Estimating, yes,” Jane Doe responded. |
| Armstrong asked her again if “nothing is radically different” with her weight and height. | Armstrong asked her again if “nothing is radically different” with her weight and height. |
| “No,” she replied. | “No,” she replied. |
| In one part of the statement she later released, the woman wrote about the way this line of questioning was hurtful. | In one part of the statement she later released, the woman wrote about the way this line of questioning was hurtful. |
| “The sexual assault had been so clear, but instead, here I was at the trial, answering question like: ‘How old are you? How much do you weigh? What did you eat that day? Well what did you have for dinner? Who made dinner?’” | “The sexual assault had been so clear, but instead, here I was at the trial, answering question like: ‘How old are you? How much do you weigh? What did you eat that day? Well what did you have for dinner? Who made dinner?’” |
| Armstrong proceeded to ask the woman about her behavior at a fraternity party that she attended with her sister. Referencing earlier testimony, he asked her if it was an intentional choice “when you drank the quantity of vodka in the red cup. You drank it all down at once, right?” | Armstrong proceeded to ask the woman about her behavior at a fraternity party that she attended with her sister. Referencing earlier testimony, he asked her if it was an intentional choice “when you drank the quantity of vodka in the red cup. You drank it all down at once, right?” |
| “Yes,” she said. | “Yes,” she said. |
| “Like, chugged it,” he replied. “And that was a decision you made, right?” | “Like, chugged it,” he replied. “And that was a decision you made, right?” |
| Armstrong reminded her that these events occurred after she had already graduated from college, asking: “And you did a lot of partying in college, right?” | Armstrong reminded her that these events occurred after she had already graduated from college, asking: “And you did a lot of partying in college, right?” |
| Jane Doe said she would not consider herself a “party animal”, before the lawyer said: “Well, you did tell the police when you were interviewed that you did a lot of partying there too, right?” | Jane Doe said she would not consider herself a “party animal”, before the lawyer said: “Well, you did tell the police when you were interviewed that you did a lot of partying there too, right?” |
| “I’m a social person,” she said. | “I’m a social person,” she said. |
| He later asked her if she has suffered “blackouts” from drinking in the past. She said she had. | He later asked her if she has suffered “blackouts” from drinking in the past. She said she had. |
| The attorney further asked her in a lengthy series of questions why her phone might have been on silent that night. He later asked to confirm specifics of her dinner that night before she went out, which consisted of “broccoli and rice”. | The attorney further asked her in a lengthy series of questions why her phone might have been on silent that night. He later asked to confirm specifics of her dinner that night before she went out, which consisted of “broccoli and rice”. |
| The records also list some of the evidence reviewed in court, which highlight specifics of the assault and the impact on the woman. | The records also list some of the evidence reviewed in court, which highlight specifics of the assault and the impact on the woman. |
| Photographs revealed that the woman had vegetation throughout her hair and “multiple abrasions” in her buttocks, the report said. She also had abrasions at the base of her neck and upper back, according to the photo evidence. | Photographs revealed that the woman had vegetation throughout her hair and “multiple abrasions” in her buttocks, the report said. She also had abrasions at the base of her neck and upper back, according to the photo evidence. |
| Despite that evidence and his eventual conviction, Turner has continued to argue that the assault was consensual, casting blame on Stanford’s “party culture”. His father faced widespread scorn for testifying that his son didn’t deserve punishment for “20 minutes of action”. | Despite that evidence and his eventual conviction, Turner has continued to argue that the assault was consensual, casting blame on Stanford’s “party culture”. His father faced widespread scorn for testifying that his son didn’t deserve punishment for “20 minutes of action”. |
| Court officials on Tuesday also released records of an 18 March hearing in which the victim answered questions by the prosecutor Alaleh Kianerci. | Court officials on Tuesday also released records of an 18 March hearing in which the victim answered questions by the prosecutor Alaleh Kianerci. |
| During that court session, the victim provided a detailed account of the events leading up to the assault and the aftermath at a hospital. | During that court session, the victim provided a detailed account of the events leading up to the assault and the aftermath at a hospital. |
| The woman appeared to get emotional when she recounted the moment she woke up at the hospital and regained consciousness. | The woman appeared to get emotional when she recounted the moment she woke up at the hospital and regained consciousness. |
| “I woke up, and I saw, like, dry blood on my hands and my elbows and bandages,” she said, later adding, “I was really extremely tired and confused.” | “I woke up, and I saw, like, dry blood on my hands and my elbows and bandages,” she said, later adding, “I was really extremely tired and confused.” |
| Jane Doe went on to recount the moment she realized she may have been assaulted, which she has also written about extensively in her impact statement. | Jane Doe went on to recount the moment she realized she may have been assaulted, which she has also written about extensively in her impact statement. |
| “My underwear was gone,” she said. “That is when it hit me that what the deputy … had been talking about was real. And I was suddenly very scared.” | “My underwear was gone,” she said. “That is when it hit me that what the deputy … had been talking about was real. And I was suddenly very scared.” |
| Doctors then gave her shots for STDs, tested her for HIV and told her that she should get tested again in six months “because results don’t always show up immediately”, the woman testified. | Doctors then gave her shots for STDs, tested her for HIV and told her that she should get tested again in six months “because results don’t always show up immediately”, the woman testified. |
| The woman also said that when she went to Stanford that night, she had had no intention of hooking up with anybody and had no interest in Turner. | The woman also said that when she went to Stanford that night, she had had no intention of hooking up with anybody and had no interest in Turner. |