Larry Nassar's Victims Are Requesting the Report on Fbi's Handling of Its Investigation into Alleged Abuse

By Jean Casarez and David Shortell
CNN
June 17, 2020

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/17/us/larry-nassar-request-report-on-fbi-investigation/index.html

Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics and survivor of sexual abuse by Larry Nassar Aly Raisman speaks during a press conference in the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building on July 24, 2018. Over 60 victims were joined by Senate Democrats to discuss ways to prevent further abuse.

(CNN)More than 120 alleged sexual abuse victims of Larry Nassar, the disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor, sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting a copy of a report on the FBI's handling of its investigation into Nassar.

The letter, sent Wednesday to Inspector General Michael Horowitz, says the alleged victims don't want the report "withheld and then have authorities claim they cannot indict and prosecute the people involved in criminal conduct because the statute of limitations has expired."

"It is important for our healing for all the facts to come out and for wrongdoers to be held accountable. It is also important to maintain public confidence in our federal law enforcement agencies by exposing the truth and initiating reforms so that this never happens again," the signers, including Olympic athletes Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and Jordyn Wieber, say in the letter.

The DOJ Inspector General's office is "investigating allegations concerning the FBI's handling of the Nassar investigation, and the victims and the public should rest assured our findings will be made public at the end of our investigation," Stephanie Logan, the office's spokeswoman told CNN when asked for comment.

Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison after hundreds of women and girls said he sexually abused them over two decades under the guise of providing medical treatment.

FBI knew of victims in 2015, attorney said

As CNN previously reported, the inspector general is looking into whether any FBI agents failed to respond in a timely manner to gymnasts' complaints in 2015.

John Manly, an attorney representing 180 gymnasts has previously said the FBI -- as well as USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee -- knew in July 2015 that Nassar, then a physician for Michigan State University, had molested three athletes.

"Their inaction allowed Nassar to return to MSU for more than a year and molest another 60 girls before he was finally arrested in November of 2016. That is inexcusable and possibly criminal," Manley said in a statement. "A thorough and complete investigation needs to be undertaken. We owe it to these girls and their families."

USA Gymnastics, the governing body for the sport in the United States, has said it "reported Nassar to the FBI in July 2015 and to a different FBI office again in April 2016."