Olympian Aly Raisman Says She Was Abused by Former USA Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar
Over the summer, Olympian Aly Raisman broke her silence about the sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor. Though she declined to say at the time whether she had had any inappropriate interactions with Nassar, who has been accused of sexually abusing more than 100 young women, she is now coming forward with her own allegations.
“I am angry,” the six-time Olympic medalist, who was first treated by Nassar when she was 15, told 60 Minutes. “I’m really upset because it’s been — I care a lot, you know, when I see these young girls that come up to me, and they ask for pictures or autographs, whatever it is, I just — I can’t — every time I look at them, every time I see them smiling, I just think — I just want to create change so that they never, ever have to go through this.”
Noting that some people have asked her why Nassar’s accusers didn’t come forward earlier, the 23-year-old asked back, “Why are we looking at why didn’t the girls speak up? Why not look at what about the culture? What did USA Gymnastics do, and Larry Nassar do, to manipulate these girls so much that they are so afraid to speak up?”
She also revealed that she spoke to FBI investigators about Nassar after the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro just last year, when the Indianapolis Star brought to light the fact that USA Gymnastics, the organization that oversees the sport, had a policy saying that they would not report sexual abuse accusations unless they were filed by the victims or a parent.
Raisman has been pushing for change, and now, according to Time, there’s a new policy in place that requires “mandatory reporting” of any potential or suspected abuse. “USA Gymnastics is very sorry that any athlete has been harmed,” the organization said in a statement to 60 Minutes. “We want to work with Aly and all interested athletes to keep athletes safe.”
Raisman’s revelation follows one from fellow gymnast McKayla Maroney, who came forward last month to say that she was also a victim. In October, Maroney said that Nassar had abused her for years, tweeting, “It started when I was 13 years old, and it didn’t end until I left the sport… I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things that I had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting.”
Nassar, who resigned from USA Gymnastics in the summer of 2015, is currently in jail awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. He faces more than 100 lawsuits that have been filed by athletes that the doctor treated throughout his time with USA Gymnastics, as well as during his work with Michigan State University.
Raisman’s full 60 Minutes interview airs this Sunday, November 12, at 7:00pm ET/PT on CBS.
(Photo via Alex Livesey/Getty)
