Chanel Miller Is 'Ready To Receive An Apology' After Stanford Sexual Assault Case

On June 2, 2016, Stanford University student Brock Turner was sentenced to six months in jail and three years probation after being found guilty on three counts of felony sexual assault. Only referred to as "Emily Doe" in court documents, the survivor, Chanel Miller, has now come forward to tell her story in her upcoming book titled "Know My Name."

Speaking to People before the Sept. 24 release of her new memoir, Miller said she believes the former college athlete used alcohol as an excuse for why he behaved in such a way. However, she revealed that she has always been "very ready to receive an apology from the very beginning."

"I am always going to advocate for acknowledging behavior and figuring out how to change and grow from that, but you can't do that without acknowledging what happened. And so the growth will never happen," she stated.

During the time that Miller was writing "Know My Name," she shared that she was also "constantly drawing as a way of letting my mind breathe, reminding myself that life is playful and imaginative." She sees artistic endeavors as being helpful steps when coping with trauma as she additionally shared that she believes "when society nourishes instead of blames, books are written, art is made, and the world is a little better for it."

In a recent interview with NPR, after publicly identifying herself, she said being "able to finally exist in the world without having to hide anything" felt "like a bittersweet birthday." She then added that it took her a long time to figure out that she deserved much better than the treatment she had received, but she was eventually able to teach herself "self-compassion and to listen to the voices" that were supporting her.

As for how she now views both her abuser and the judge who sentenced him, Miller recognizes that she has "no control over who they become or how they choose to reform themselves," adding, "I will always encourage them to do that, but ultimately, I will always be focused on my own trajectory and thinking about the people I want to help and how I want to move forward."

"Know My Name" is now available and can be purchased here.