Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is incredible. She, in her very public trial, was impartial and fair. She stood for justice, and upon finding Larry Nassar guilty, she gave him exactly what he deserves.

For so long, men of all walks of life have gotten away with assaulting women. Our patriarchal society has seen to that. Men have never before had to worry about ramifications of these heinous actions. But the tides are changing. We’ve seen men in Hollywood snubbed, we’ve seen politicians dethroned, and now we get to see one of the most renowned doctors for athletic care finally jailed. The fact that for so long he got away with everything he did shows exactly how much the times are changing.

Women, especially young women, are empowered to stand for what they believe in and for what they deserve. And they understand that they deserve to be treated with respect and to never be taken advantage of. We no longer live in a world where women can afford to stay silent or allow themselves to be silent.

Judge Aquilina stands as a reminder of exactly that. She treated him exactly as a sexual predator deserved to be treated. Without leniency. I applaud her and wish for every survivor to be shown the same belief and willingness to fight for justice.