In Wednesday testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, four USA gymnasts called out FBI officials for their handling of the Larry Nassar investigation. The video above shows some of their testimony.
“This is the largest case of sexual abuse in the history of American sport, in although there has been a fully independent investigation of the FBI’s handling of the case, neither [USA Gymnastics] nor [the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee] have ever been made the subject of the same level of scrutiny,” four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles said. “It feels like questions of responsibility and organizational failures remain unanswered.”
The independent investigation Biles referenced aimed at holding the FBI accountable after multiple missteps in investigating the case. A Justice Department internal investigation released in July said the FBI made major mistakes in the probe and did not treat the gymnasts with the “utmost seriousness”.
Those errors included delays that allowed Nassar to abuse at least 40 more gymnasts after the FBI was first made aware of the allegations back in 2015. “Let’s be honest, by not taking immediate action from my report, they allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year,” fellow gold medalist McKayla Maroney said. “What is the point of reporting abuse if our own FBI agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in a drawer?”
Maroney also testified FBI officials falsified her allegations, saying “that is illegal in itself”.
“We know that these FBI agents have committed an obvious crime,” Maroney said. “Yet no recourse has been taken against them. The Department of Justice refused to prosecute these individuals. Why?”
After the gymnasts finished their testimony, it was FBI Director Christopher Wray’s turn. He said he was “deeply and profoundly sorry” for what the gymnasts have been through.
“And I’m especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed. And that is inexcusable,” Wray said. “It never should have happened. And we’re doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again.”
