Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of abuse and child pornography. Reader discretion is advised.
Larry Nassar was a reputed name in the sports industry and always traveled with the USA’s gymnastics team. However, he received a setback when a former female gymnast accused him of sexual abuse. As the investigation progressed, it turned out that the former gymnast was not the only one who had experienced abuse at the hands of the physician.
In August 2016, IndyStar published a lengthy report about how USA Gymnastics has handled sexual abuse complaints over the years. After the report surfaced online, a former gymnast contacted the publication and told them about the abuse. Additionally, she filed a criminal complaint against Nassar and revealed that the doctor abused her in 2000. She was 15 at the time.
At the time, Nassar worked at the Michigan State University. She contacted MSU Police and told them everything. The MSU Police called him to the station and questioned him. On the other hand, a former Olympic medalist came forward and filed a lawsuit against Nassar for sexually abusing her from 1994 to 2000.
In October 2016, Michigan’s attorney general said his office was reviewing the allegations. The following month, they charged Nassar with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. However, he posted bail worth $1 million, per IndyStar. Meanwhile, in December 2016, the police arrested Larry Nassar again on federal child pornography charges. Nassar pleaded guilty to those charges and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. Authorities also charged Nassar in the sexual abuse case.
Larry Nassar’s abuse case explored
In December 2016, authorities reported that the physician had “receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography” in 2004. Additionally, investigators revealed that Nassar possessed “thousands of images of child pornography” between 2003 and 2016.
In January 2017, eighteen women signed a lawsuit that USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University failed to protect them from the abuse. The lawsuit stated that victims did raise their concerns to the coaches of MSU, but they didn’t investigate any of their allegations.
As the investigations progressed, authorities were able to secure “22 new sexual assault charges” against Nassar. Meanwhile, in October 2017, three Olympic gold medalists also came forward and said the doctor abused them. One of the Olympic gold medalists took to X (formerly Twitter) to write, “I too am one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar. Most of you know me as a happy, giggly and energetic girl. But lately I’ve felt broken and the more I try to shut off the voice in my head the louder it screams. I am not afraid to tell my story any more.”
Another gymnast testified during the proceedings and noted that being a victim of Larry Nassar was the “hardest thing” she ever had to process. Nassar eventually pleaded guilty to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan and took a plea deal. After weeks of testimonies, the court sentenced him to 40 to 175 years in prison, per BBC. Meanwhile, he pleaded guilty to three more sexual abuse charges and sentenced to 40 to 125 years in prison. He is currently serving his sentence at United States Penitentiary Coleman II.
Nassar was stabbed multiple times in prison
In 2023, ABC News reported that a fellow inmate stabbed Nassar “multiple times.” Citing the sources, the outlet noted the attack allegedly happened after Nassar made a comment during the women’s Wimbledon tournament.
Nassar’s case garnered worldwide attention, and Netflix produced a documentary titled Athlete A based on the entire case.
