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Former US Gymnastics Doctor Faces Additional Sentencing

  • Nassar worked closely with the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics teams for more than two decades.

    Nassar worked closely with the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics teams for more than two decades. | Photo: Reuters FILE

Published 31 January 2018
Opinion

He previously pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison, last week.

Disgraced former U.S. Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar will return to court to be sentenced for other charges to which he has pleaded guilty.

RELATED: 
US Gymnastics Doctor Faces up to 175 Years for Sexual Assault

The ex-team doctor will be handed additional jail terms for three counts of criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County, Michigan.

“If we have learned anything from the Nassar sentencing in Lansing, it's that too many voices of too many victims had been unheard for too long,” the state's Attorney General, Bill Schuette, said of the Ingham cases. The lawyer added that the Eaton County venue will “ensure that every voice of every survivor” is heard.

According to the state's attorney general, some 57 victims will recount abuse meted to them by Nassar during the session.

Nassar is making his third appearance at criminal sentencing hearings.

He previously pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison, last week. He also pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in federal court and was sentenced, in December, to 60 years in prison.

Over 150 women have accused the former medical professional of various sexual abuses.

Nassar worked closely with the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics teams, young athletes at Michigan State and girls at the Twistars gymnastics club for more than two decades. Twistars is located in Eaton County. Nassar worked at the club with legendary gymnastics coach John Geddert – who coached the 2012 Olympics gold medal-winning women's gymnastics team. Last week, Geddert was suspended by USA Gymnastics.

USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University (MSU) have faced heavy criticism for failing to protect the gymnasts. Several young women recounted instances of abuses to coaches, trainers and other adults at the institutions, all of which were ignored. Both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State have denied wrongdoing. USA Gymnastics said it reported the allegations to authorities.

In 2016, The Indianapolis Star initiated the fall of the doctor after publishing accounts of abuse experienced by Rachael Denhollander.

All the board members of USA Gymnastics were instructed to tender their resignations following Nassar's sentencing last week and MSU's athletic director, Mark Hollis, retired.

Nassar, who struck a plea deal after pleading guilty on various counts of abuse, faces a number of criminal charges and civil lawsuits.

Among the ex-Team USA official's victims are Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman, Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney.

Raisman said Nassar's 175-year prison sentence was insufficient. “You know what, someone brought this up the other day and they said he’s going to jail for almost like a year for each survivor, so when you put it in that perspective, it’s really not enough,” Raisman said.

“It would be like for the abuse he did there’s been so many girls that have come forward. It’s like he got one year for each person, like that’s not enough, you know what I mean?”

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