Twenty minutes. This is how long it takes to read an article in a magazine, make and drink a cup of tea or coffee, do your nails or fall asleep. It is also the length of time it takes to ruin a life.

Brock Turner raped a woman, a fellow student at Stanford University in California, USA, while under the influence of alcohol. Calling a rapist an animal does a disfavour to animals.

This is the latest in a series of sexual attacks at college campuses across the United States. Brooke’s victim displayed astonishing courage in standing up for her rights and narrating the tragic events. Unfortunately, she also had to face the devastating short custodial sentence handed to Brock.

And why? Because he was an elite sportsman, young, gifted and born into a life of privilege, with no previous history of violence. Because his dad pleaded with the judge not to ruin his life because of ‘twenty minutes of action.’

And here I am, a week later (2016), unable to get this shocking emotional detachment off my head. This statement carries a complete disregard for the life and dignity of the victim.

And how do you rehabilitate someone like this when the socioeconomic structures of power remain solidly in place like chains?