The Larry Nassar affair, which caused an international earthquake, continues to shake the world of gymnastics: the American government announced Tuesday that it will pay nearly 139 million dollars to the victims sexually assaulted by this ex-doctor of the ‘National team.
• Read also: Lawsuits against the FBI: victims of Larry Nassar will receive financial compensation of $100 million
• Read also: Former sports doctor Larry Nassar brutally attacked in prison
Mr. Nassar is currently serving a life prison sentence after being convicted in 2017 and 2018 for two decades of sexual violence against more than 250 gymnasts, often minors.
Among his many victims, we include Olympic champion Simone Biles, who attacked the American administration with a hundred other gymnasts, accusing the FBI of negligence.
Because the first accusations against him were transmitted in July 2015 to the local FBI office in Indianapolis (north). But the investigation was quickly abandoned and it took another report, in May 2016, for the federal police to launch new investigations.
“The other victims and I were betrayed by all the institutions that were supposed to protect us,” said former Olympic champion McKayla Maroney in 2022, pointing the finger not only at the FBI, but also at the American federation, the Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Justice.
Under the terms of the agreement announced Tuesday, the government will pay $138.7 million to the plaintiffs.
“These allegations should have been taken seriously from the start,” admitted Benjamin Mizer, a deputy at the Department of Justice. “While these settlements will not undo the harm Mr. Nassar inflicted, we hope they will help victims of his crimes get the critical support they need to continue their healing.”
Historical scandal
In July 2021, a report from the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Justice concluded that there were “fundamental errors” on the part of the agents responsible for the initial investigation.
Former osteopath and therapist, Larry Nassar was national medical coordinator of the American Gymnastics Federation between 1996 and 2014.
He also worked at Michigan State University and a gymnastics club, where he caused numerous casualties.
Since his conviction, he was stabbed in prison in July 2023, an attack which he survived.
His name remains associated with the biggest sexual assault scandal in gymnastics history, which completely changed the sport.
In the United States, the various financial compensations paid to the victims of the ex-doctor amount in total to more than a billion dollars, including 500 million by the State University of Michigan and 380 million by the federation gymnastics.
Since this unprecedented affair, gymnasts from around the world have spoken out to denounce abusive practices, revealing a toxic culture within their discipline.
In Great Britain, Australia, Canada and even France, a series of revelations have taken place in recent years, denouncing decades of physical and psychological violence.
This led the International Gymnastics Federation to adopt a new code of conduct in June 2022 to protect gymnasts against abusive practices.
