The cast of HBO’s Girls is urging action in the wake of the Brock Turner case. Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet and Jemima Kirke dedicated a new PSA about sexual assault to the former Stanford student’s 23-year-old victim on Wednesday, June 8, urging people to help however they can.
“I dedicate this to the brave survivor in the Stanford case who has given so much to change the conversation,” Dunham, 30, tweeted Wednesday. Mamet, 28, retweeted her costar the same day.
In the video, the actresses remind viewers that according to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five women is sexually assaulted in her lifetime, and 80 percent of the time, the perpetrator is someone they know.
“You have the choice to make things better,” the stars point out, suggesting simple actions such as pointing out hurtful remarks when they are made, offering rides to seek care or just lending an ear. In the Stanford rape case, two men who saw the January 2015 attack as they rode by on their bikes tackled and held Turner until police arrived.
“We hope to represent the solidarity and support all survivors should be able to find,” the women — with their arms around each other’s shoulders — said. “So please, support, listen, take action … because she is someone.”
Former Stanford student Turner, 20, was convicted of three felony counts of sexual assault in March. Prosecutors were seeking a six-year prison sentence, but the judge handed down a six-month jail term and three years of probation on June 2. The decision was decried by many as being too lenient for the crime.
The case received worldwide attention after the victim’s emotional message to her attacker, which was read in court, went viral.
“You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today,” she wrote in the 12-page letter. “What has he done to demonstrate that he deserves a break? He has only apologized for drinking and has yet to define what he did to me as sexual assault, he has revictimized me continually, relentlessly.”
Since her letter surfaced, the survivor has received widespread support, including from Vice President Joe Biden. The VP penned an essay praising her bravery and sharing his anger with the outcome of the case. “We all have a responsibility to stop the scourge of violence against women once and for all,” he wrote.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing and recovering, and more.
