LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — Tuesday marks the sixth day of the sentencing hearing for disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar.
About 125 girls, women and supporters spoke in a Lansing courtroom in the first five days of the hearing; about 144 total were on the docket as of the end of the day Monday. That number could continue to grow as Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina has committed to hearing from any victims who want to speak.
The judge is not expected to actually hand down a sentence until midweek.
Those who have spoken in court so far said Nassar sexually assaulted them under the guise of medical treatment. Many were preteens when the abuse started; one said it began when she was 6.
Victims who have made their voices heard include Olympic medalists Jamie Dantzscher, McKayla Maroney, Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman. Others were student athletes at Michigan State University or area high schools. On Monday, 15-year-old Emma Miller told the court she thought she may have been Nassar’s last victim before MSU fired in him 2016 as abuse allegations became public.
Nassar worked for decades as a sports doctor for MSU and USA Gymnastics and many of the victims have blamed those organizations for enabling him. In court, Emma Miller asked Nassar to use his opportunity to speak to specify when officials could have done something to stop him from hurting more girls.
As pressure related to the Nassar case mounted, three members of USA Gymnastics’ board of directors resigned Monday and the owner of Lansing-area gymnastics club Twistars, where some of the abuse happened, was suspended by the organization.
Nassar, 54, pleaded guilty in November to sexually assaulting several girls, all but one of them a gymnast, at his home, his office at MSU and Twistars. He also pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges and has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison.