According to Russia Today Television (RT) reported on the 13th, more than 500 female gymnasts who have filed lawsuits for sexual abuse by former U.S. gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar will receive a $380 million settlement from the American Gymnastics Association, the U.S. Olympic Committee and insurance companies.
Screenshot of the Russian RT website report
The federal bankruptcy court for the Southern District of Indiana announced the settlement agreement on the 13th local time. The Usabolic Gymnastics Institute filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018 after Nassar's sexual abuse sparked a raft of lawsuits in previous years.
Rachael Denhollander, a former U.S. Olympic gymnastics team member who exposed Nassar's sexual abuse in 2016, tweeted, "This chapter is finally over." The arduous work of reform and reconstruction can now begin. Whether justice will come and whether change will happen depends on what happens next. This refers to the "restorative justice" project, which the American Gymnastics Association agreed to set up in addition to paying settlements to give Nassar's victims a say in how to handle future sexual abuse allegations.
Simon Byers et al., who testified in the Senate Image source: Reuters
As part of the largest ever settlement of a sexual abuse case, the money will be used to compensate victims such as Olympic medalist Simon Byers, Alexandra Lesman and McKayla Maroni, among other athletes who have been abused by Nassar. Dan Holland said many victims have struggled with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and even suicidal tendencies after being abused.
"No amount of money can make up for the harm that has been done and what these women have gone through," she said. But at some point, the negotiations have to end because these women need help, and they need help now. ”
Larry Nassar Reuters infographic
While most of the settlement will be paid by the insurance company, the U.S. Olympic Committee will pay $34 million of that and will lend another $6 million to the Usabols. Previously, the U.S. Olympic Committee argued that it was not responsible for Nassar's sexual abuse because he was not an employee of him. The settlement will help the U.S. Olympic Committee avoid being disqualified as an Olympic organization.
Although the FBI initially ignored complaints about Nassar, he was eventually arrested and tried for sexually abusing gymnasts. In 2017, a U.S. federal court sentenced him to 60 years in prison for possession of child pornography, photos and videos. The following year, Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison by a Michigan court for sexually assaulting a female gymnast he had treated for years. Nassar taught and interned at Michigan State University between 1997 and 2016, and most of the sexual abuse occurred at Michigan State University. In 2018, the school reached a settlement with the victims to pay $500 million. (Editor: HHJ)