Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department
Two women who penned letters in support of convicted Stanford rapist Brock Turner have publicly apologized for doing so, claiming they did not fully understand the severity of his actions. Leslie Rasmussen, 20, drew significant outrage for her character statement defending Turner and suggesting the victim shared some of the blame for her own rape. Her band, Good English, lost its spot at a high-profile New York rock festival after her letter was circulated online. “I had no right to make any assumptions about the situation,” Rasmussen apologized on Facebook. “I did not acknowledge strongly enough the severity of Brock’s crime and the suffering and pain that his victim endured, and for that lack of acknowledgement, I am deeply sorry.” She added she is “committed to learning from this mistake.” A high-school guidance counselor, Kelly Owens, also apologized for her previous letter saying Turner was “absolutely undeserving of the outcome.” She said in a new statement: “I made a mistake... I tell my students they have to be accountable, and Brock is no exception.”