We've all seen team USA's Gymnastic victories at the Olympics and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Still, not everyone knows about its history of mental and physical abuse. While the lawsuit against Larry Nassar in 2017 is arguably the most publicized case against USAG, it is not the only case filed against them. Six other coaches and doctors affiliated with USAG were convicted on sex-related charges. The USAG has also had a history of not reporting allegations to the police.
Larry Nassar was first accused of sexual abuse of minors in 2016 by Rachael Denhollander. Since then, over 250 women have come forward about Nassar's 'medical procedures,' including famous names such as Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian, and many more. All of them were minors during their experiences with Nassar. Nassar is currently serving a sentence of 40 to 125 years in jail.
Former USAG CEO, Steve Penny, accused of removing documents linked to Nassar's assault charges and covering up allegations of abuse Larry Nassar for a year before finally reporting, is currently out on bail and has been awaiting trial since 2018. These horror stories are only the tip of the iceberg. Are the medals these women received a symbol of their skill of survival?
Written by Medha Gupta
Artwork by Zara Masood
コメント