{"id":31670,"date":"2022-05-12T16:29:38","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T16:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/?p=31670"},"modified":"2022-05-12T16:29:38","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T16:29:38","slug":"after-bowen-turner-arrest-sex-crimes-groups-hold-sc-rally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/12\/after-bowen-turner-arrest-sex-crimes-groups-hold-sc-rally\/","title":{"rendered":"After Bowen Turner arrest, sex crimes groups hold SC rally"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Brett Tabatabai, Dallas Stroller\u2019s sister, speaks during a rally at the South Carolina State House on Thursday, May, 12, 2022. Families and victims of sexual assault spoke out against the handling of the prosecution of Bowen Turner who was accused of rape by three teens, and was sentenced to 5 years probation.<\/p>\n


\n Tracy Glantz
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Chloe Bess has been reliving her sexual assault for years, recounting details and defending her claim countless times to law enforcement, lawyers and judges who she says uphold a system that re-traumatizes victims. <\/p>\n

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\u201cThe most traumatic night of my life has been drug out for three years,\u201d she said Thursday morning at a rally outside the South Carolina State House to raise awareness for victims\u2019 rights. \u201cNo one can change what happened, but they were supposed to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bess was one of three girls to accuse 19-year-old Bowen Turner of rape between 2018 and 2019. In April, Turner pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery<\/a> in Bess\u2019s case. It was a lesser conviction than the first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge he\u2019d been charged with by law enforcement. <\/p>\n

The lesser conviction came with a sentence of five years probation and no placement on the state\u2019s sex offender registry<\/a>. When sentencing Turner, the judge warned that if he violated his parole, he could be placed on that registry. <\/p>\n

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Victims\u2019 advocates say Turner\u2019s case is an example of a system that favors defendants over victims, particularly victims of sexual violence. Victims\u2019 advocates, along with Bess, her family and relatives of Turner\u2019s other accusers hope state lawmakers will take notice and pass laws to better defend victims. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t keep allowing victims to be treated this way. All it\u2019s doing is showing the perpetrator they can get away with it time after time, and it\u2019s evident particularly in this case,\u201d Bess said Thursday. <\/p>\n

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While standing on the State House steps, Bess referenced how she was treated by Turner\u2019s attorney, state Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, as an example of how state lawmakers have responded to victims\u2019 rights advocates. <\/p>\n

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\u201cThe senator stated that I never said \u2018no.\u2019 But I can guarantee I never said \u2018yes,\u2019 and I have the scars to prove it,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The rally, hosted by the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network and the state\u2019s coalition against domestic violence and sexual assault, came on the heels of Turner\u2019s latest arrest. <\/p>\n

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Earlier this month, Turner was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct<\/a> in Orangeburg, a month into his five-year probationary period. <\/p>\n

The latest arrest prompted the organizations to hold an impromptu rally \u201cto focus attention and motivate action in regards to how sexual assault and violent crimes are handled by the South Carolina criminal justice system.\u201d <\/p>\n

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\u201cPointing out where things need to change is not a bad thing; it\u2019s essential in a democracy,\u201d said Sarah Ford, legal director for the victim\u2019s assistance network. \u201cAnd that\u2019s why we\u2019re here today in front of the State House to encourage our legislators to hear from people who have been victims and who have also been revictimized by our system.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The groups want to see a list of changes in the Palmetto State, including a system to track when perpetrators of violent crimes are granted plea deals for lesser convictions. <\/p>\n

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Among those in attendance Thursday was Brette Tabatabai, whose sister, Dallas Stoller, died by suicide in 2021 after accusing Turner of sexually assaulting her in 2018. He was out on bond for that charge when he assaulted Bess. <\/p>\n

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\u201cFor three years after her attack, Dallas suffered severe mental anguish. Not only from the trauma of her assault, but trauma (from) being relentlessly bullied by peers and adults in the community,\u201d Tabatabai said. <\/p>\n

Five months after Dallas died, her family was told via Zoom that the state was dropping her case. Dallas had \u201cplenty of evidence\u201d to pursue her case, Tabatabai said. She had offered sworn statements and had a witness. <\/p>\n

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\u201cSo what do we do when the oppressors are the very leaders who are supposed to protect these girls and these women?\u201d Tabatabai asked the crowd Thursday. \u201cWe fight. We stand for the silenced. We make noise, and we don\u2019t stop until we\u2019re heard. We vote the good ol\u2019 boys out.\u201d <\/p>\n

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After the rally, the few dozen people in attendance were encouraged to meet advocates in the State House lobby to ask lawmakers for stricter punishments for perpetrators of violent crimes and better safeguards for their victims.<\/p>\n

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\n Morgan Hughes covers Columbia news for The State. She previously reported on health, education and local governments in Wyoming and has won awards in Wyoming and Wisconsin for feature writing and investigative journalism. Morgan is new to the South but is having fun learning the quirks and culture of South Carolina. <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div><\/div>\n