Following four full days of jury deliberation, former Oklahoma cop Daniel Holtzclaw was found guilty Thursday on varying charges of sexual harassment and assault, reports Jezebel.
Holtzclaw was convicted of using his position of authority to coerce his victims into sexual acts, forcing himself upon helpless women who feared for both their lives and for the value of their word when reporting attacks.
His victims were undoubtedly targeted based on their lack of societal privilege, a fact that rings horrifying but not unsurprising. Holtzclaw attacked at least 13 black women from underprivileged backgrounds, reports Refinery 29, confirming to us what we already knew: Americans are far from safe when it comes to modern racism, and disadvantaged citizens (particularly those of intersectionally marginalized backgrounds: black, lower socioeconomic class women) enter a battleground each and every time they step outside. Collegiettes, this has got to stop.
Due to the make-up of the jury—all-white and mostly male—many following the case (including us) were assuming the worst. The verdict comes as a brief relief to generations largely desensitized to an abundance of violence and demographic-based discrimination, but we have a hard time finding lasting comfort in the notion that the need for such a verdict even exists.
Holtzclaw will be formally sentenced on January 21, writes Refinery29. All we hope is that the sentence puts as much ease as possible in the hearts of his many strong victims.