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More than 120 victims of Larry Nassar, including Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, signed a letter asking the Department of Justice for the release of an investigation into the FBI’s handling of allegations against the former USA Gymnastics doctor.
Per Sarah Fitzpatrick and Lisa Cavazuti of NBC News, the letter asks:
“Why is the Justice Department sitting on this report? We do not want it withheld and then have authorities claim they cannot indict and prosecute the people involved in criminal conduct because the statute of limitations has expired.
“It is important for our healing for all the facts to come out and for wrongdoers to be held accountable. It is also important to maintain public confidence in our federal law enforcement agencies by exposing the truth and initiating reforms so that this never happens again.”
A spokesperson for the inspector general says the DOJ is conducting an investigation into the FBI’s handling of the case and would make the findings public when that investigation is concluded. The investigation has been ongoing since 2018.
USA Gymnastics first learned about Nassar’s conduct in June 2015 but waited nearly five weeks before alerting the FBI. Nassar continued to serve as the doctor for USA Gymnastics for more than a year after the FBI and USA Gymnastics found out about the allegations.
Per the NBC News report, “Dozens of young athletes said Nassar abused them in the period between the first report to the FBI in July 2015 and his arrest by local authorities in November 2016.”
A 2019 congressional report says the FBI, Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics “had opportunities to stop Nassar but failed to do so.”
Nassar pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of 10 minors in 2018 and was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison.
