A US judge who sentenced Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner to just six months in prison has been removed from office. 

Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky faced huge condemnation after he handed the convicted sex attacker an outrageously lenient sentence, prompting supporters of the victim to launch a campaign to recall the judge. 

Under normal sentencing, Turner would likely have received between two and 14 years in prison. 

A special election saw Californians vote to unseat the judge after nearly 15 years of practice.

The same California judge who sentenced Brock Turner to 6 months in jail after his conviction for sexually assaulting an unconscious student appears to have been ousted by voters. Your. Votes. Matters. 

— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) June 6, 2018

Persky is the first California judge to be recalled since 1932. 

The 2016 trial sparked widespread backlash for its focus on the victim's drinking habits and sexual experience. 

In a statement read in court before sentencing, she said: "You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today." 

Remember when Brock Turner was sentenced to just six months in jail for rape? The judge who handed that lenient sentence was removed from office by California voters. pic.twitter.com/NWGcT26BZ0

— Joel Franco (@OfficialJoelF) June 6, 2018

Speaking about the impact of the Judge Persky's removal, Michele Dauber, an outspoken women’s rights campus activist who launched the recall campaign said: "The broader message of this victory is that violence against women is now a voting issue."

"This is a historical moment in time. Women are standing up for their rights, and there is a national reckoning."