American climber Charlie Barrett given life sentence for rape

40-year-old professional American rock climber Charlie Barrett has been sentenced to life in prison for assaulting a 19-year-old woman three times during a hiking trip in Yosemite in 2016. Barrett was arrested in August 2022 and Monday's ruling came after a trial in February.

Following his arrest, Barrett made more than 100 phone calls from jail to harass the woman and other alleged victims. Officials stated that "Barrett’s jail calls continue to show a complete lack of remorse and a mentality of victimhood that cannot be rehabilitated." Before his sentencing was delivered, Barrett declined to make a statement to the court.

During the trial, three other women testified that they had also been sexually assaulted by Barrett. Indeed, according to Outside and Climbing Magazine that reported extensively about the crimes, records show that over a 14-year period starting in 2008, nine protection or restraining orders were filed against Barrett for incidents that involved the harassment or assault of at least six women; these included death threats, trolling on Instagram, and impersonating a police officer.

In statement released after the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said "Barrett’s long history of sexual violence supports the imposition of a life sentence. He used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock-climbing community, and when his victims began to tell, Barrett responded by lashing out publicly with threats and intimidation. This case is a testament to the courage of the victims who reported these crimes."

Worryingly, the outlets report that Barrett managed to avoid being held accountable for so long because a segment of the climbing community closed ranks and were "invested in minimizing sexual assaults and harassment while elevating climbing accomplishments."

Instrumental in Barrett's sentencing was Safe Outside, an independent grassroots initiative designed to combat sexual harassment and sexual assault (SHSA).