Chanel Miller, the survivor in the Brock Turner sexual assault case, was “in shock” when she found out that Turner — convicted on three felony assault charges — was sentenced to just six months in county jail.
“So, you’re saying that I just put aside a year and a half of my life so he could go to county jail for three months?” Miller, who up until recently was known only as “Emily Doe,” recalled thinking in a “60 Minutes” clip published Thursday.
“There are young men, particularly young men of color, serving longer sentences for nonviolent crimes — for having a teeny-weeny bit of marijuana in their pockets,” Miller said. “And he’s just been convicted of three felonies, and he’s going to serve one month for each felony. How can you explain that to me?”
Turner, a former Stanford University student, served only three months in jail after being released early on good behavior in August 2016. He was arrested in 2015 for sexually assaulting an unconscious Miller behind a dumpster during a fraternity party at Stanford.
Although he faced up to 14 years in prison, the judge overseeing the case, Aaron Persky, said a prison sentence would “have a severe impact” on Turner and handed down the lenient sentence. Persky’s controversial decision later got him recalled from the bench.
Miller, who read a historic victim impact statement in court, revealed her identity earlier this month in preparation for the release of her highly anticipated memoir, “Know My Name.”
The short interview clip comes ahead of a full “60 Minutes” interview with Miller, set to air this Sunday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.