This petition should be signed by those who believe rapist should recieve an actual sentence, not a slap on the wrist.

Why would a rapist fear consequences when judges are lenient?

It gives them a sense of power to do it again and takes away power from those who feel helpless and alone.(cases listed below)

This petition is for victims of rape who are; gone, still here, barely hanging on, as well as future victims.

By signing and sharing this petition, you help everyone who has or will be impacted by rape.

Thank you for your help. 

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Are you a father, brother, sister, mother,daughter, or human?

In this country we often stand together to defend our rights and our loved ones when the time calls for it. This time I ask for your time, support, and strength to make a change. To help those who you know and those you don't. 

Rape is one of the most degrading and vile acts one person can commit against another. Yet, a lot of times it goes unpunished or treated as if it were nothing, as if it were not even a crime at all. 

Acts of violent crimes may happen to anyone at any given time but we can take steps to try to stop this grave injustice against rape victims, to help their voice be heard and not silenced. 

Rape often goes unreported for various reasons but how could anyone be surprised? Look at how the justice system and authorities set victims up for failure by giving perpetrators a sense of security or leniency.

How? 

When rapes are reported, the process is not only difficult but also traumatizing.

IF the case reaches court, there are judges who have protected and has given the rapist a slap on the wrist or thinks of the rapist as a victim.

Judges who've stated along the lines or have said things such as; " jail will not be kind or beneficial to them." 

" He's unlikely to repeat ( offend again)."

" Let me hear good things about him (perpetrator)."

These things have been said, feel free to look them up in the cases listed below.

Prime example of this mindset:

A judge who asked a woman if she tried to “close her legs” during an alleged rape has been charged with misconduct. 

State Superior Court Judge John Russo made the comment during a 2016 hearing in which a woman was seeking a restraining order against a man she accused of forcing her to have sex. - independent.UK.co

Is this okay? THIS seems to be the mindset or accepted culture within the judicial system. Even if it's a few, it's a few too many.

Why would any human feel comfortable coming forward with judges who don't believe them or don't actually enforce the law to the fullest. 

Penalties are deterrents only when they are enforced.  

There have been cases (listed below ) where men have confessed or had rulings by the judges that gave the perpetrators a lesser charge or nothing stays on their record.

I ask, how is this fair, how is this justice? 

Society: There are judges who express they believe the punishment given was fair and within guidelines of the law. The law should change so THEY can't hide behind that reason any longer.

In my opinion, they don't understand rape and how it effects a person or have not been raped. In order to fully understand, sometimes you have to go through it. 

NO ONE DESERVES TO GO THROUGH THIS.

Too many people do and often times alone. 

Across the country, as many as 200,000 rape kits sit unopened in police storage while assailants—the people whose genetic fingerprints are decisively coded within such kits—are able to dodge prosecution and, in some cases, strike again. - Theatlantic.com (2019)

Rapist still get away by backlog, lenient "punishments", or under reporting. This happens way too often and it is being overlooked.

THINK on this:

Can you imagine being; physically forced, threatened, unconscious, drugged, or manipulated against your will by someone you never met or someone you know? 

Your world crashes, trust is gone, depression takes place, and paranoia sinks in.

Someone who has violated you on multiple levels. Imagine having the strength and courage to press charges then seeing them walk as a free person as if nothing has happened. Think about what if this has happened to a loved one, chances are, it has.

Blame from people and misunderstandings: 

A lot of times people blame the victim. The perpetrators do it or even some in society.

There are those who are critical and skeptical of those who are coming forward but the mass of women and  men who are coming forward are finding strength to do so because they no longer feel like they're alone. Rape has been proven to be a crime that is under reported for various reasons.

Often there are questions like, why didn't she/ he do this or that? Why did they dress in this way? Why did they drink? They question the victim instead of the offender. They question the victim as if they should be accountable but what about the person who violated them?

Sometimes people tear apart the victim as if they're to blame when the questions should be, why did they ( perpetrator) violate another person willingly without a second thought?

Why are they only getting probation when the victim has to live with what they have done forever.

The victims suffer mentally as well as physically. Not only within that instance but for extended periods and often for life. That is a prison sentence within itself. 

Everyone reacts to tramua differently, there are some listed below.

No two people react the same.

It's common for people who are sexually assaulted to be victimized again by others or the same person.

                  ***The Point***

The point is, this should never happen but it does. 1 in 6 women are victims. Men are less likely to report when they're victims of rape. 

Who knows, you could have a rapist next to you and you wouldn't even know it. 

They're not always masked villains but often people you know, love, and trust. 

People who appear to be normal, charming, or intelligent.

Prime example: Ted Bundy.

People often feel like they don't have the power to change anything. Give them hope, courage, and strength by signing this petition. That people do care and they no longer have to stand alone. 

Please sign this petition to help change the law. A law that states any person convicted of rape or sexual assault shall not receive probation as punishment but recieve a mandatory jail sentence. 

Not 30 days like in one case.

Not 6 months and then not even serve the full sentence. 

People who are guilty of drunk driving, are a risk to the public and get handed down harsh penalties.

Rapist are a risk to public safety and they will more than likely repeat and often they feel no remorse.

At minimum 5 years to life.

RAPE:

 noun (1)
lˈrāp  \

Definition of rape:
1: unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against a person's will or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception.

Cases in the USA where men walk with no real consequences:

A former school bus driver, Shane M. Piche, admitted to raping a 14-year-old girl in New York will not serve jail time.
McClusky said his decision was more appropriate because Piche has no prior arrests and sexually assaulted only one victim. - USA Today.
2) Two 13-year-olds convicted of raping Tennessee teen only get 6 months probation.

3)BrockTurner,  a former student-athlete at Stanford University, to just six months in jail and probation for raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster on campus. Prosecutors had asked for a six-year prison sentence. But Persky sided with a recommendation from the county probation department, which said "when compared to other crimes of similar nature" the Turner case "may be considered less serious due to (his) level of intoxication." 

The outcry over Turner’s sentencing was swift, and his case dominated headlines for weeks. The idea that someone could receive a six-month sentence out of a potential 14 years seemed shocking at the time. But since Turner's sentencing on June 2, a wave of similar cases proved we shouldn't have been surprised. 

Turner's light sentence is not an anomaly, but a pattern in our justice system in which white, middle-class men receive little to no prison time — when they are prosecuted at all.

- Revelist.com/CNN/Wikipedia

4)David Becker, of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts was charged with sexually assaulting two of his classmates when they fell asleep after a house party. The 18-year-old was accused of digitally penetrating both women while they were unconscious. Becker told investigators that when one of the victims "didn't protest," he assumed it was "OK" to continue. 

Chief Justice of the Massachusetts District Courts Paul Dawley declined a review despite a petition with over 36,000 signatures calling for the judge who originally ruled in the case to be fired. In a letter, Dawley stated the sentence "was within the lawful bounds established by the Legislature.

5) Nicholas Fifield, an 18-year-old tennis player at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, was charged with third-degree sex abuse of a person “suffering from a mental defect or incapacity, which precludes giving consent.” Fifield took an Alford plea deal for a charge of assault to commit serious injury; in this type of plea deal, the defendant maintains innocence while also acknowledging that there’s enough evidence for the prosecution to convict him.  
According to authorities, Fifield picked the woman up from her Des Moines group home, after getting permission from the woman's parents and from the home's staff. Fifield promised he was just going to take her to the movies.
 
Instead, he took her to his home in Windsor Heights and forced her to perform sex acts as she repeatedly told him "no," authorities said.
The victim also suffered from an alcohol-and-drug related birth defect, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder and a language disorder, authorities said.
Fifield, who is the son of West Des Moines high school tennis coach Jay Fifield, faced only a one-meet suspension after his charge, according to the Register. He then went on to play doubles at the state tennis tournament in May.
Fifield started attending Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge this year, according to his Facebook page. (2016) NY mag, NY daily news.

6) Logan Micheal Osborn, met a14-year-old girl at a high school play in April 2017, according to prosecutors. After the play ended, the two took a walk, and he allegedly led her down a path away from people.

At the end of the path, Osborn, then 18, pushed the girl, tied a belt around her neck and hands and performed a sex act, prosecutors said. The girl testified that she cried during the assault, and claimed Osborn pushed her against the fence and on her knees at times.
In September 2017, Osborn pleaded guilty to having carnal knowledge of the girl. He later told the court he took responsibility for his “poor judgement,” the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Osborn’s defense attorneys argued the interactions between the two had been consensual, pointing to text messages where she agreed to have fun with Osborn.

On Wednesday, Hauler decided to again stay the execution of the active prison term, citing discretionary state sentencing guidelines, according to the Times-Dispatch. His decision “is tantamount to suspending the entire 10-year prison term,” the newspaper reported
Wednesday’s hearing, Hauler said he “need[ed] to hear some positive things” about Osborn. James Trent, a foreman at an electrical company, commended Osborn’s work ethic and performance, saying the “sky’s the limit” with his future, according to the Times-Dispatch. - Fox News

A fraternity president at Baylor University who was accused of raping a female student in 2016 will avoid jail time and will not have to register as a sex offender, under a plea deal approved on Monday in Waco, Tex
Judge Strother has been accused of approving lenient sentences for men in two other recent sexual assault cases. One was a probation sentence last year for a man who pleaded guilty to a 2013 sexual assault of a Baylor student. The other was a felony probation sentence imposed this year for the sexual assault of a former Baylor student in 2014 that includes 30 days of jail time to be served on weekends.

-NYtimes.com

STATISTICS:

Every 73 seconds, an American is raped.

Sexual Violence Can Have Long-Term Effects on Victims
The likelihood that a person suffers suicidal or depressive thoughts increases after sexual violence.

94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape.

30% of women report symptoms of PTSD 9 months after the rape.

33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide.

13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.

Approximately 70% of rape or sexual assault victims experience moderate to severe distress, a larger percentage than for any other violent crime.

People who have been sexually assaulted are more likely to use drugs than the general public.

Drug use to forget the abuse:

3.4 times more likely to use marijuana.

6 times more likely to use cocaine

10 times more likely to use other major drugs.

Sexual violence also affects victims’ relationships with their family, friends, and co-workers:

38% of victims of sexual violence experience work or school problems, which can include significant problems with a boss, coworker, or peer.

37% experience family/friend problems, including getting into arguments more frequently than before, not feeling able to trust their family/friends, or not feeling as close to them as before the crime.

84% of survivors who were victimized by an intimate partner experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.

79% of survivors who were victimized by a family member, close friend or acquaintance experience professional or emotional issues, including moderate to severe distress, or increased problems at work or school.

Sexual Violence in the Military Often Goes Unreported: 

14,900 military members experienced unwanted sexual contact in the fiscal year ending September, 2016.

4.3% of active duty women and 0.6% of active duty men experienced unwanted sexual contact in FY16.

Of the 14,900 survivors, 43% of females and 17% of males reported

Even if survivors choose to report sexual assaults, justice is not always served. Out of every 1,000 rapes, 994 perpetrators will walk free, according to a report by RAINN that cited 2010-2014 Bureau of Justice statistics. That means perpetrators of sexual violence are less likely to go to jail or prison than other criminals, according to RAINN. Meanwhile, the emotional, physical or psychological risks of reporting an assault might be very high.

Of the sexual violence crimes not reported to police from 2005-2010, the victim gave the following reasons for not reporting:
20% feared retaliation
13% believed the police would not do anything to help
13% believed it was a personal matter
8% reported to a different official
8% believed it was not important enough to report
7% did not want to get the perpetrator in trouble
2% believed the police could not do anything to help
30% gave another reason, or did not cite one reason.

Please, let's stand together to create a world where rape is 100 % NOT tolerated or overlooked.

Rape is about control, power, and used as a weapon. 

Please sign this petition. 

We can make a difference but we have to do it together. 

Victims of sexual assault deserve justice. 

Thank you for any and all support.