California Passes New Rape Law In Wake Of Lenient Brock Turner Sentencing

California state lawmakers passed a law to close a loophole in sexual assault sentencing that allowed convicted sexual assaulter Brock Turner leniency in his case. The bill, passed on Aug. 29, is headed to Gov. Jerry Brown for a signature.

“Sexually assaulting an unconscious or intoxicated victim is a terrible crime and our laws need to reflect that,” Bill Dodd, a Democratic assemblyman from Napa who co-authored AB 2888, wrote in a statement following the bill’s passage, notes The Huffington Post.

“If we let a rapist off with probation and little jail time, we re-victimize the victim, we dissuade other victims from coming forward and we send a message that sexual assault of an incapacitated victim is just no big deal,” Dodd added during floor debate, reports the Los Angeles Times.

In a high-profile case earlier in 2016, Stanford University student Brock Turner was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. In June, Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to six months in jail, stating that “[a] prison sentence would have a severe impact on him,” notes CNN. “I think he will not be a danger to others.”

The ruling sparked national outrage. Vice President Joe Biden wrote an open letter to Turner’s victim, offering support.

“I do not know your name — but I know that a lot of people failed you that terrible January night and in the months that followed,” Biden wrote, reports BuzzFeed. And though “…the justice system has spoken in your particular case, the nation is not satisfied.”

“This bill is about more than sentencing, it’s about supporting victims and changing the culture on our college campuses to help prevent future crimes,” Dodd added.

Current California law does not mandate prison time for forced sexual assault that does not involve penile penetration. Under the new law, a judge’s discretion for such offensives is removed and a minimum three-year sentence is established.

Brown has not signaled whether he plans to sign the bill. 

Sources: The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed, CNN / Photo credit: Alexey Moiseenkov/Instagram