Chinese Feminists Show Global Solidarity With Stanford Sexual Assault Survivor

Outrage over the six-month jail sentence handed to a convicted sex offender in California has spread all the way to China, where feminists are posting poignant selfies in solidarity with the survivor.

The social media activists believe that Brock Turner, a former Stanford University student who was caught sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster last year, should receive a longer sentence due to the nature of his crime.

"Rape is a form of gender violence that is everywhere in the world," the group, known as the Free Chinese Feminists, wrote on its Facebook page with the hashtag #Solidarity4StanfordSurvivor. "Sexist and racist justice systems have facilitated this by ignoring, dismissing and devaluing survivors' experiences."

The post made comparisons with gender injustices in China, where five activists were famously detained last year on the eve of International Women's Day. The women had planned to protest sexual harassment and were detained for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Some 23 percent of men in China admitted to committing at least one rape, according to a 2013 United Nations study.

"A rapist who swims well is still a rapist! A judge who helps rapists [cannot] be a judge!" read a sign held by one activist.

Turner was a competitive swimmer; his father has faced scrutiny for mentioning his son's athletic accomplishments in a letter to the judge. After Turner was sentenced, hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition demanding that the judge, Aaron Persky, be removed from the bench.

The Free Chinese Feminists could not immediately be reached for comment. Take a look at some of the photos and messages the group has shared online.