Former Colorado Student Who Raped Helpless Woman Avoids Prison After Lenient Sentencing By Judge
Austin Wilkerson, a former student of the University of Colorado who was convicted of sexually assaulting a drunken woman was spared prison time by a judge Wednesday, the Denver Post is reporting. District Judge Patrick Butler, sentenced Austin Wilkerson to two years of work or release and gave him 20 years to life on probation.
The 22-year-old’s sexual assault conviction carried a suggestive sentence of four to 12 years. However, under Colorado law, judges are given the discretion to offer lighter sentences. Judge Butler has ruled that Wilkerson, who has been suspended from public university, will be able to work or go to school during the day time, but will have to return to a county jail at night to see out his two-year sentence.
Judge Patrick Butler revealed his reason for giving the convicted rapist a much stiffer sentence.
“I’ve struggled, to be quite frank, with the idea of, ‘Do I put him in prison?’ Mr. Wilkerson deserves to be punished, but I think we all need to find out whether he truly can or cannot be rehabilitated.”
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He had gone on to check her pulse and temperature and given her water in the presence of his roommate. He later admitted that when he was not “getting much of a response from her” he “digitally and orally penetrated” her and ejaculated. He later sent a text to the victim’s friend saying that she was safe and not to worry.
Before his trial, the former Colorado student had denied the gravity of the assault, saying that he had only “let his hands wander” He later changed his story during the trial, claiming that the first-year female student was not drunk and that the sex was consensual.
Prosecutors clamored for a more severe sentence for the defendant after it was established that he lied and tried to cover up his crime.
His victim talked about the aftermath of the assault at his trial, asking for the court to mete out meaningful punishment to Austin Wilkerson.
No prison for CU student convicted of rape: A judge sentenced Austin Wilkerson to 2 years of work release in the… https://t.co/B6HZGsI50l
— Cherry Creek Buzz (@CherryCreekBuzz) August 11, 2016
“When I’m not having nightmares about the rape, retaliation or a retrial gone awry, I’m having panic attacks. Some days I can’t even get out of bed. Have as much mercy for the rapist as he did for me that night.”
Prosecutors cited that the sexual assault had ruined her socially, academically, psychologically, and financially.
Lisa Saccomano, deputy district attorney said she was not entirely surprised but was still disappointed at the immunity university students continued to enjoy when it came to sexual assault on campus.
“These young, college-age offenders who perpetrate rape on campus are getting some sort of privileged discount … compared to other violent offenders.”
The light-sentencing of Wilkerson recalls the high-profile sexual assault case of Brock Turner, a former student of Stanford University who also got a slap on the wrist for sexually assaulting an unconscious female student in January of 2015.
Turner was convicted of multiple felonies, including intent to commit rape of an intoxicated/unconscious person and penetration of an intoxicated/unconscious person.
However, he was sentenced to six months in a county jail. Even after a jury determined that the former varsity swimmer had raped the woman after a fraternity party. Prosecutors had asked for the 20-year-old at that time to be given a six-year prison sentence.
Further outrage was sparked when two opposing letters written to the judge were released to the public. In one of the letters, the Stanford rape victim recaptured her ordeal in a 12-page letter, saying it was devastating to hear Turner blame the assault on alcohol. The other letter from Turner’s father had flippantly dismissed his son’s crime, calling it “20 minutes of action.”
[Image via ThinkStock]
