Listen to victim statements streaming live on woodtv.com.
LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — Even after three days’ worth of statements, there are still dozens of victims who will have the chance to confront Larry Nassar, a former sports doctor for Michigan State University and U.S. Olympians who sexually assaulted his patients under the guise of providing medical care.
Nassar’s sentencing hearing for the sexual assault of several girls — most of them gymnasts — resumes this morning in Lansing.
About 70 victims or representatives for victims addressed Nassar the first three days of the hearing. Before their statements began Thursday, Nassar gave a six-page letter to Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina in which he said he didn’t know if he could listen to any more. She was visibly perturbed as she made it clear that his discomfort was nothing compared to what his victims endured.
The women — some of whom say they were as young as 11 or 12 when the abuse started — have described the pain of the assaults and sense of betrayal they felt, as well as the ways their lives are still affected by anger, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. But many also said that having the chance to face Nassar in court and tell their stories was empowering.
“Your days of manipulation are over. We have a voice now. We have the power now,” Olympic bronze medalist Jamie Dantzscher said in court Thursday.
Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney also provided a statement Thursday. Fellow Olympians Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles say they were also victims of Nassar.
Many of the victims blame MSU, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympics Committee for enabling Nassar to practice medicine and keep assaulting girls for some two decades. They say the culture at MSU discouraged victims from reporting the abuse, and that complaints were ignored or not investigated properly.
With a total of 105 victim impact statements lined up, Aquilina may not actually hand down a sentence until next week. She could sentence him to at least 40 years in prison.
Nassar, 54, has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison on federal child pornography charges.