In Michigan, female gymnasts who survived sexual assault and abuse by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar continue to testify against the doctor in court. Nassar has already admitted to sexually abusing the athletes when they were children and adolescents, and then covering up the abuse by pretending it was part of a medical treatment. This is Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, testifying Friday.
Aly Raisman: “I am here to face you, Larry, so you can see I’ve regained my strength, that I’m no longer a victim, I’m a survivor. Now is the time to acknowledge that the very person who sits here before us now, who perpetrated the worst epidemic of sexual abuse in the history of sports, who is going to be locked up for a long, long time, this monster was also the architect of policies and procedures that are supposed to protect athletes from sexual abuse. Abusers, your time is up. The survivors are here, standing tall, and we are not going anywhere.”
During her testimony, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman also attacked USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee for allowing the sexual abuse to continue for decades.
Aly Raisman: “Your abuse started 30 years ago, but that’s just the first reported incident we know of. If, over these many years, just one adult listened and had the courage and character to act, this tragedy could have been avoided. Neither USA Gymnastics nor the USOC have reached out to express sympathy or even offer support, not even to ask, 'How did this happen? What do you think we can do to help?' Why have I, and others here, probably, not heard anything from the leadership at the USOC? Why has the United States Olympic Committee been silent?”
At least one woman has also testified that she reported the sexual abuse to officials at Michigan State University, where Larry Nassar also practiced sports medicine. A growing number of the sexual assault survivors, current students and even one Michigan State University trustee are calling on university President Lou Anna Simon to resign over questions about what she and the university knew about Nassar’s systematic sexual assault of female athletes on campus.