Highly accomplished Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and dozens of others are seeking $1 billion worth of reparations against the FBI for their improper investigation into the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case.
According to BuzzFeed News, 90 of Nassar’s victims have filed federal tort claims and depending on the reaction of the agency, it could lead to a class-action lawsuit. The defendants claim that the Federal Bureau of Investigation failed to take action, despite multiple gymnasts detailing being taken advantage of by the Team USA physician.
In a congressional report, the FBI alongside the United States Olympic Committee had knowledge of Nassar’s wrongdoing but refused to bring his victims’ justice. The report claims that multiple institutions, including the FBI, “sat on evidence of his sexual misconduct for over a year — allowing for the additional sexual abuse of dozens of other girls.”
In the midst of the lawsuit against Nassar, the Department of Justice announced that criminal charges would not be brought against the two FBI agents that failed to protect the interest of the gymnasts involved in the case. Following this verdict, victims were inspired to speak their minds in order to bring justice to the situation.
Samantha Roy, a former University of Michigan gymnast, reported that the lack of prosecution catalyzed claimants to be “more determined than ever to expose the FBI’s failures and demand accountability.”
United States gymnasts share their critiques of the FBI
“If the FBI had simply done its job, Nassar would have been stopped before he ever had the chance to abuse hundreds of girls, including me,” Roy relayed.
In September of last year, many of Nassar’s victims testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee against the FBI for its improper handling of their sexual abuse cases. Of the victims, Simone Biles had powerful sentiments to share.
“We suffered and continue to suffer, because no one at FBI, [USA Gymnastics], or the [United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee] did what was necessary to protect us,” the gold medalist said. “We have been failed, and we deserve answers. Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable.”
Following the testimony, FBI Director Christopher Wray issued an apology to the gymnasts. “I’m deeply and profoundly sorry to each and every one of you,” Wray shared. “I’m sorry for what you and your families have been through. I’m sorry that so many different people let you down, over and over again. And I’m especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed.”
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