By David Cruz
Dharun Ravi, the Rutgers University freshman convicted of invasion of privacy and bias crimes for videotaping and then web streaming a sexual encounter involving his roommate, Tyler Clementi, and another man, was sentenced to 30 days in prison today. The sentence includes three years probation, 300 hours of community service and $11,000 in fines.
You need only look at the faces of the mothers of Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi to get a genuine sense of this tragedy. Each spoke powerfully, their statements halted by their pain over what they’ve lost.
“Tyler and I had been very connected, so much so that I feel like a piece of me died [with him],” Jane Clementi said before a hushed courtroom. “That connection became very real to me again during the trial, as most of the time I was listening and watching as if through Tyler’s ears, eyes and mind.”
Sabitha Ravi, Dharun’s mother, broke down twice during her statement to the court. “I was watching [Dharun] helplessly,” she said. “All I could do was just hug him and cry. I didn’t have any power to stop all this and save my son, and prove to the world how kind-hearted and loving a person he is and that he doesn’t have any hatred in his heart towards anybody.”
The hearing lasted almost four hours, starting with a motion by the defense for a new trial, which Judge Glenn Berman quickly rejected. Although Berman’s sentence was very specific — suggesting he had it in hand when the day began — he listened closely to the victim impact statements and was visibly moved by what he heard from the parents, including a seething anger from Tyler Clementi’s father.
“Mr. Ravi still does not get it,” he said, glancing at the defense table. “He has no remorse and he said he was genuinely surprised that the jury could have found him guilty of any of the charges.”
The judge’s sentence surprised some, who thought that his reprimand of Ravi might result in a much tougher sentence. He could’ve faced 10 years in prison.
“Down the road, you can expunge this judgment, but you cannot expunge the conduct or the pain you caused,” he said before passing sentence.
Ravi is scheduled to report to Middlesex County Jail on May 31, pending appeals from both sides. Today’s sentence will not ensure against cyber bullying or homophobia, but, if tomorrow, one person thinks twice before bullying a gay person, or anyone they deem different than themselves, then maybe some small positive will have come from this tragedy.
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