Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles told Congress through tears Wednesday that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a 바카라blind eye바카라 to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar바카라s sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women. (Other Sports News)
Biles told the Senate Judiciary Committee that 바카라enough is enough바카라 as she and three other US gymnasts spoke in stark emotional terms about the lasting toll Nassar바카라s crimes have taken on their lives.
The 2016 Olympic champion and a five-time world champion 바카라 widely considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time 바카라 said that she 바카라can imagine no place that I would be less comfortable right now than sitting here in front of you.바카라 She declared herself a survivor of sexual abuse.
바카라I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse,바카라 Biles said.
Biles said a message needs to be sent: 바카라If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough.바카라 The hearing is part of a congressional effort to hold the FBI accountable after multiple missteps in investigating the case, including the delays that allowed the now-imprisoned Nassar to abuse other young gymnasts.
An internal investigation by the Justice Department released in July said that the FBI made fundamental errors in the probe and did not treat the case with the 바카라utmost seriousness바카라 after USA Gymnastics first reported the allegations to the FBI's field office in Indianapolis in 2015.
The FBI has acknowledged its own conduct was inexcusable. At least 40 girls and women said they were molested after the FBI had been made aware of the problem. McKayla Maroney, another gold medal-winning gymnast, told senators that one night when she was 15 years old, she found the doctor on top of her while she was naked 바카라 one of many times she was abused. She said she thought she was going to die that evening.
Maroney said the FBI 바카라minimized and disregarded바카라 her after she reported Nassar and said the agency delayed the investigation as other gymnasts were abused. 바카라I think for so long all of us questioned, just because someone else wasn't fully validating us, that we doubted what happened to us,바카라 Maroney said. 바카라And I think that makes the healing process take longer.바카라
Biles and Maroney were joined by Aly Raisman, another Olympic gold medalist, and gymnast Maggie Nichols. Raisman said it 바카라disgusts me바카라 that they are still looking for answers six years after the original allegations against Nassar were reported.
바카라We just can't fix a problem we don't understand, and we can't understand the problem unless and until we have all of the facts,바카라 Raisman said, noting the traumatic effect the abuse has had on all of them. 바카라Being here today is taking everything I have," she said. "My main concern is I hope I have the energy to just walk out of here. I don't think people realize how much it affects us.바카라
Biles acknowledged in January 2018 that she was among the hundreds of athletes who were abused by Nassar. She is the only one of the witnesses who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 바카라 held this year after a one-year delay due to the coronavirus pandemic 바카라 but removed herself from the team finals to focus on her mental health.
She returned to earn a bronze medal on beam but told the committee the lingering trauma from her abuse at the hands of Nassar played a factor in her decision to opt out of several competitions. Democratic and Republican senators expressed disgust over the case and said they would continue to investigate.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said it was among the most compelling and heartbreaking testimony he had ever heard.
바카라We have a job to do and we know it,바카라 Durbin said. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said Congress must 바카라demand real change, and real accountability, and we will not be satisfied by platitudes and vague promises about improved performance.바카라
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, called Nassar a 바카라monster바카라 and wondered how many other abusers have escaped justice, considering that even world-class athletes were ignored in this case.
FBI Director Christopher Wray and Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who conducted the July report, will testify in a second panel after the gymnasts. Horowitz's probe was spurred by allegations that the FBI failed to promptly address complaints made in 2015 against Nassar.
USA Gymnastics had conducted its own internal investigation and the organization's then-president, Stephen Penny, reported the allegations to the FBI's field office in Indianapolis. But it was months before the bureau opened a formal investigation.
The inspector general's office found that 바카라despite the extraordinarily serious nature바카라 of the claims against Nassar, FBI officials in Indianapolis did not respond with the 바카라utmost seriousness and urgency that the allegations deserved and required.바카라
When they did respond, the report said, FBI officials made 바카라numerous and fundamental errors바카라 and violated bureau policies. Among the missteps was a failure to conduct any investigative activity until more than a month after a meeting with USA Gymnastics.
The watchdog investigation also found that when the FBI's Indianapolis field office's handling of the matter came under scrutiny, officials there did not take any responsibility for the missteps and gave incomplete and inaccurate information to internal FBI inquiries to make it look like they had been diligent in their investigation.
The FBI rebuked its own employees who failed to act in the case and said it 바카라should not have happened.바카라
