A Justice Department watchdog report found the FBI made “fundamental” errors in investigating the sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar. Four American gymnastics stars, including Simone Biles, will testify before Congress on Wednesday September 15th, during a hearing about the FBI’s handling of the investigation into former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar.
The testimony from Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman comes after a Justice Department watchdog report found the FBI made “fundamental” errors in investigating sexual abuse allegations against Nassar.
All four gymnasts have publicly said they were abused by Nassar.
“From my experience speaking up about abuse is extremely exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally,” Maroney began her Instagram caption. “From a young age I was taught to work hard and persevere. Gymnastics taught me to be tough, resilient, and to overcome all obstacles.”
Biles blamed “an entire system that enabled and perpetuated his abuse.” “I don’t want another young gymnast, Olympic athlete or any individual to experience the horror that I and hundreds of others have endured before, during and continuing to this day, in the wake — of the Larry Nassar abuse,” Biles said in an emotional testimony.
“To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. USA gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic committee knew that I was abused by their official team doctor long before I was ever made aware of their knowledge,” she told the committee.
Maroney said the FBI agents who handled the investigation “committed an obvious crime” and deserved to be indicted. “What’s even more upsetting to me is that we know that these FBI agents have committed an obvious crime. They falsified my statement, and that is illegal in itself. Yet no recourse has been taken against them.
The Department of Justice refused to prosecute these individuals. Why?” she said. “Deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco couldn’t bring herself to be here today. It’s the Department of Justice’s job to hold them accountable.” “These individuals clearly violated policies and were negligent in executing their duties, and in doing so, more girls were abused by Larry Nassar for over a year,” she said. “To not indict these agents is a disservice to me and my teammates, a disservice to the system which is built to protect all of us from abuse,” the gymnast continued.
The long-awaited watchdog report raises troubling questions about how the department and the FBI handled the case and it highlights major missteps at the FBI between the time the allegations were first reported and Nassar’s arrest.
The inspector general’s investigation was spurred by allegations that the FBI failed to promptly address complaints made in 2015 against Nassar. USA Gymnastics had conducted its own internal investigation and then the organization’s then-president, Stephen Penny, reported the allegations to the FBI’s field office in Indianapolis. But it took months before the bureau opened a formal investigation.
At least 40 girls and women said they were molested over a 14-month period while the FBI was aware of other sexual abuse allegations involving Nassar. Officials at USA Gymnastics also contacted FBI officials in Los Angeles in May 2016 after eight months of inactivity from agents in Indianapolis.
DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz and FBI Director Christopher Wray are also set to testify. Last month, USA Gymnastics and hundreds of women who claim they were abused by Nassar, or others affiliated with the national governing body filed a joint $425 million settlement proposal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
