The friend of a Stanford University student who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman called on the judge to be lenient and not "politically correct" ahead of his sentencing.
Brock Turner, 20, was sentenced to six months' jail after he attacked a woman behind a rubbish skip near a party on campus on January 18, 2015.
The sentence prompted global outrage, with many saying it was too light. A petition calling on the judge to be axed had more than 200,000 signatures.
Now the fury has turned to a letter written by Leslie Rasmussen, a 20-year-old female friend of Turner's. In it, she writes: "Brock is not a monster. He is the furthest thing from anything like that, and I have known him much longer than the people involved in this case.
"I don't think it's fair to base the fate of the next 10+ years of his life on the decision of a girl who doesn't remember anything but the amount she drank to press charges against him.
"I am not blaming her directly for this, because that isn't right. But where do we draw the line and stop worrying about being politically correct every second of the day and see that rape on campuses isn't always because people are rapists?
"It is because these universities market themselves as the biggest party schools in the country. They encourage drinking.
"I think it is disgusting and I am so sick of hearing that these young men are monsters when really, you are throwing barely 20-somethings into these camp-like university environments, supporting partying, and then your mind is blown when things get out of hand.
"This is completely different from a woman getting kidnapped and raped as she is walking to her car in a parking lot. That is a rapist. These are not rapists. These are idiot boys and girls having too much to drink and not being aware of their surroundings and having clouded judgement.
"I'm not saying that is every case because I know that there are young men that take advantage of young women and vice versa, but I know for a fact that Brock is not one of those people. He is respectful and caring, talented, and smart enough to know better.
"Attached is a photo of Brock I took in high school. he has always had that huge, loving smile on his face. The caption is even 'd'awwww' because he was always thee sweetest to everyone.
"I appreciate you taking your time to hear about my past with Brock and my opinion on the matter, and i hope you consider what I've said when looking into sentencing. I would not be writing this letter if I had any doubt in my mind that he is innocent."
The woman who was assaulted read the court an emotional statement, which has gone viral and sparked outrage around the world.
Newshub.
