According to the American Overseas Chinese Daily, the US Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday (15th) on the investigation of the largest sexual assault scandal in the history of the US women's gymnastics team. Several members of the U.S. women's gymnastics team, including Olympic gold medalists Mckayla Maroney and Simone Biles, as well as FBI Director Christopher Wray, attended the hearing.
At the hearing, Byers blamed the sexual assault scandal on the entire U.S. gymnastics system as well as the U.S. Olympic Committee. She told the senators: "I don't want another young gymnast, Olympian or anyone else to go through the same experience as me." I confess that this was a crime committed by Larry Nassar (a former team doctor on the U.S. Gymnastics team who was sentenced to 175 years in prison for sexually assaulting 156 people), but it is also a problem caused by the whole system. The USA Gymnastics team and the Olympic Committee had known about the abuses committed by the team doctors long before, but they did not act on them. ”
Maroney pointed the finger at the hearing at the FBI, which was in charge of the case. "What is even more disturbing is that the FBI agents committed obvious crimes in the investigation, they illegally falsified my statement, but no one held them accountable," she said. In the process, more girls were abused by Nassar for more than a year. ”
American gymnast Simonebiles testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Pictured here, Byers won the women's individual all-around title at the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo by Du Yang, reporter of China News Network)
In response to the allegations made by the gymnastics team members, FBI Director Ray admitted that "no explanation could be given for the unfavorable work of the investigation" and "deeply sorry for the disappointment of all victims and families". In addition, he said the FBI had fired an agent who had failed in its investigation.
Ray stressed: "The FBI would have had an opportunity to stop Nassar from continuing his crimes in 2015, but we failed and this is absolutely unforgivable. I and the entire department leadership team will ensure that every member of the FBI remembers the heartbreaking details of the case and will do everything in my power to ensure that the same mistakes are not made again. ”
After the hearing, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, offered harsh criticism of the FBI and the Justice Department's inaction.
"I am very unhappy with the information obtained at today's hearing and the impact of this case is something I have never seen in more than a decade in the Senate," he said. The FBI was completely negligent in its investigation, and it was they who made the case more serious. And the Justice Department did not take any responsible action. I think the Senate has to hold another hearing and ask the Justice Department for an explanation. (Original title: Senate holds hearing on the U.S. Gymnastics team sexual assault scandal, FBI director apologizes for the unfavorable investigation)