UNITED STATES: Larry Nassar, the disgraced sports doctor who was found guilty of sexually abusing female gymnasts, reportedly suffered multiple stab wounds during a confrontation with another inmate at a federal prison in Florida.
According to two individuals familiar with the incident who spoke to The Associated Press, the attack took place on Sunday at United States Penitentiary Coleman. Nassar’s condition was described as stable on Monday.
One source stated that he had been stabbed both in the back and in the chest. The individuals talked to The Associated Press anonymously because they were not authorised to publicly disclose the specifics of the attack or the continuing investigation.
Larry Nassar received a lengthy prison sentence for sexually abusing gymnasts, including Olympic medalists.
Nassar is currently serving several decades in jail after being found guilty in state and federal courts. He acknowledged abusing athletes while employed by USA Gymnastics, which prepares Olympians, and Michigan State University. Nassar also entered a guilty plea to owning child pornography.
Several athletes said during victim impact statements in 2018 that they had alerted people about Nassar’s sexual abuse over his more than two decades of abuse, including coaches and athletic trainers, but that nothing had been done about it.
Over 100 women, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, collectively sought over $1 billion in compensation from the federal government due to the FBI’s failure to intervene when they were made aware of allegations against Larry Nassar in 2015. However, it wasn’t until 2016, more than a year later, that the Michigan State University police finally arrested Nassar.
Michigan State University, which was accused of neglecting multiple opportunities to halt Nassar’s abuse over the course of several years, agreed to pay $500 million to over 300 women and girls who were victims of his assaults. Additionally, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee settled for $380 million.
In June 2022, Larry Nassar’s final appeal was rejected by the Michigan Supreme Court. Nassar’s attorneys argued that he was treated unjustly in 2018 and deserved a new hearing due to comments made by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who referred to him as a “monster” and stated that he would “wither” in prison like the wicked witch in “The Wizard of Oz.”
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina of Ingham County remarked on Nassar’s 40-year sentence, “I just signed your death warrant.”
The state Supreme Court stated that Nassar’s appeal was a “close question” and that it had “concerns” over the judge’s behavior. The court did, however, point out that Aquilina, despite her controversial remarks, adhered to the sentencing arrangement negotiated by attorneys in the case.
“We decline to expend additional judicial resources and further subject the victims in this case to additional trauma where the questions at hand present nothing more than an academic exercise,” stated the court in a concise two-page order.
Over 150 victims shared their testimonies or submitted statements during an unprecedented seven-day hearing in Aquilina’s court more than four years ago.
“It’s over. … Almost six years after I filed the police report, it’s finally over,” stated Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Nassar.
Also Read: Horror in France: Pre-School Students Stabbed in Annecy, Attacker Apprehended
