Ex-doctor Larry Nassar

175 years in prison! Sentence should give victims hope

(Bild: AFP )

Even with the spectacular sentence of up to 175 years in prison, the scandal surrounding former US gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar is not over. The US Gymnastics Federation and Nassar's former entourage are facing probing questions. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina and Nassar's victims hope that the historic ruling will also send a deterrent signal.

Former gymnast Rachael Denhollander began the last session of a seven-day hearing in Lansing on Wednesday with fiery criticism. "For us as a society, this is what happens when responsible adults fail to respond appropriately to revelations of sexual abuse. This is what happens when institutions create a culture in which a predator can thrive unabashedly and without restraint," Denhollander lamented.

She was alluding to the fact that the avalanche of allegations against Nassar only broke out many years after the crimes. It was triggered by courageous testimonies from gymnasts abused by Nassar at the time and the persistent reporting by the Indy Star and Lansing State Journal newspapers. Denhollander was the first to dare to testify against Nassar in 2016. She was 15 years old when she was abused. 16 years later, she testified.

Judge: "I just signed her death warrant"
On Wednesday, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for mass sexual abuse of young gymnasts. On the last day of the hearing, which was broadcast live on TV, Judge Aquilina said to the 54-year-old: "I have just signed your death warrant."

The judge thanked Denhollander for the courage of her first statement: "You are one of the bravest people I have ever seen in my courtroom. You started the tidal wave." Aquilina determined that Nassar must remain in prison for at least 40 years.

The sentence from this trial was added to another sentence. Nassar had already been sentenced to 60 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

Youngest girl was only six years old
By Wednesday, 156 girls and women had been heard at the trial, including several Olympic champions. They described the doctor's criminal activities in detail. Nassar had pleaded guilty in November of the previous year. Most of his victims were minors. One girl was only six years old at the time of the crime.

Nassar apologized to his victims in court: "Your words have shaken me to the core. I will carry these words with me for the rest of my life."

Angela Povilaitis of the Michigan Attorney General's Office said, "His lies worked. Every previous accusation fell flat. What does it say about our society when victims of sexual abuse have to hide for years?" Povilaitis expressly thanked the journalists who helped uncover the case.

On Monday, the top management of US Gymnastics resigned over allegations that they had covered up Nassar's activities for a long time. Questions are also being directed at Michigan State University, where Nassar was a faculty member for decades. A number of civil proceedings are also pending.

Following the verdict against Nassar, the US Olympic Committee (USOC) announced its own independent investigation. It should clarify why cases of abuse on such a scale were not pursued for so long, wrote USOC boss Scott Blackmun in an open letter on Wednesday.

Blackmun emphasized that the NOC is still considering withdrawing USA Gymastics' approval as a national federation if it does not cooperate fully with the planned restructuring. So far, this step has not been taken because it would affect many clubs and athletes who have nothing to do with the abuse scandal.