More than ninety female gymnasts are suing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than a billion dollars for failing to stop former USA Gymnastics doctor Lawrence G. Nassar from sexually abusing them.
The lawsuits against the FBI come two weeks after the Justice Department decided not to prosecute two of the former agents accused of hindering the Nassar investigation in 2015, allowing him to continue treating and sexually abusing his victims for more than a year before Michigan authorities will arrest him.
The Justice Department announced last month that after a review of the facts, it would uphold its decision not to file criminal charges against two former FBI field office agents in Indianapolis accused of mishandling the Nassar investigation.
Nassar, who served as a doctor for the United States women’s gymnastics team for 18 years, was arrested in 2016 following an investigation by police at Michigan State University, where he also ran a clinic, even after the FBI had knowledge of his crimes.
In 2018, he was sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing hundreds of girls and women, including many members of the 2012 and 2016 US Olympic women’s gymnastics teams.
According to him New York Times, The plaintiffs include gymnastics Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney and gymnastics national medalist Maggie Nichols, as well as former University of Michigan gymnast Samantha Roy and former gymnast Kaylee Lorincz, who now serves as an advocate for victims of sexual assault.
My fellow survivors and I were betrayed by all the institutions that were supposed to protect us: the United States Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, the FBI, and now the Department of Justice. It is clear that the only path to justice and healing is through the legal process.
– McKayla Maroney for ‘The New York Times’
According to NBC News, Nassar’s victims turned to the Federal Tort Claims Act, which offers redress to people harmed by the negligence or wrongdoing of the federal government.
According to John C. Manly, attorney for the plaintiffs, the victims are seeking different amounts as damages, but their total claims will exceed one billion dollars.
Source: Okchicas
With 6 years of experience, I bring to the table captivating and informative writing in the world news category. My expertise covers a range of industries, including tourism, technology, forex and stocks. From brief social media posts to in-depth articles, I am dedicated to creating compelling content for various platforms.
