After a week of testimonies from more than 150 women who publicly accused the once world renowned USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University sports physician, Larry Nassar, of sexual assault, justice has finally been served.
Larry Nassar has been accused of molesting girls, as young as the age of 6, under the guise of medical examinations and treatment therapies. Many of the women that he sexually abused are highly decorated Olympic gymnasts, like Aly Raisman and Simone Biles.
The testimonies told of how Nassar would digitally insert himself inside these young women as a form of “treatment” for sports injuries, even while their parents were present in the room, as well as how confused they were about whether or not what he was doing to them was actually sexual assault, thinking that he was a trusted and well respected doctor in the gymnastics world and therefore must know what he’s doing. A young woman who was repeatedly abused by Nassar said that on one occasion she purposefully gave herself a concussion so that she could be admitted to a hospital and avoid having to attend Nassar’s overnight training camp.
The survivors of Nassar’s abuse asked Judge Rosemarie Aquilina to give the man who turned their Olympic dreams into a nightmare the maximum sentence for his crimes.
On January 24th, the final day of Larry Nassar’s trial, Judge Aquilina made it perfectly clear that she wanted this man to spend the rest of his life in prison.
“I just signed your death warrant,” she said as she presented his sentence.
Judge Aquilina showed Nassar absolutely no mercy when Nassar presented her with an apologetic letter, which she immediately tossed aside. She then went on so say that it was a “privilege” to sentence him to up to 175 year in prison.
Yes, Larry Nassar will rightfully spend the rest of his life behind bars, but this story is much bigger than Larry Nassar. It is bigger than Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and Kevin Spacey. In this time of injustice, survivors of sexual abuse will no longer be silenced. It is time they have their voices heard and for everyone else to shut up and listen.