Two women who penned letters defending former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner in court have rescinded their support, saying they didnt realize the severity of his actions.
Kelly Owens, a high school guidance counselor in Ohio, and Leslie Rasmussen, a friend of Turners, issued apologies Wednesday for making statements that they said have caused outrage.
Rasmussen, a member of the band Good English, said she was one of at least 39 people who submitted character statements to Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky in support of Turner, who was convicted in March of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster on campus.
I had no right to make any assumptions about the situation, she wrote on Facebook. Most importantly, I did not acknowledge strongly enough the severity of Brocks crime and the suffering and pain that his victim endured, and for that lack of acknowledgement, I am deeply sorry.
In her letter, Rasmussen said Turner was not a monster, writing that there is absolutely no way Brock went out that night with rape on his mind.
Rasmussen said she understood the outrage over her statement and Turners sentencing.
I can only say that I am committed to learning from this mistake, she said. I am 20 years old, and it has never been more clear to me that I still have much to learn.
In her letter to Persky, Owens described Turner as truly an exceptional person/student, who was never boastful or arrogant, but rather a favorite among his teachers and peers.
Owens, who works at Oakwood High School in Ohio, said the verdict broke her heart, saying that Turner was absolutely undeserving of the outcome.
But on Wednesday, Owens submitted an apology to her school district.
