Olympic star Aly Raisman delivered blistering testimony during Larry Nassar‘s sentencing, calling the former doctor “pathetic” and ripping USA Gymnastics as “rotting from the inside.”
The 23-year-old Raisman came forward in November as one of the dozens of gymnasts who were sexually abused by the former team doctor. Raisman said she began seeing Nassar when she was 15 and detailed her abuse in the book Fierce.
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Raisman asked to testify during the sentencing in a Lansing, Michigan courtroom. She spoke for 13 minutes, telling Nassar that the “tables have turned.”
“Larry, it’s your turn to listen to me,” Raisman said, with Nassar in the courtroom. “There is no map that shows you the pathway to healing. Realizing that you are a survivor of sexual abuse is really hard to put into words. I cannot adequately capture the level of disgust I feel when I think about how this happened.”
Raisman told Nassar he “abused the power and trust I and so many others placed in you, and I am not sure I will ever come to terms with how horribly you manipulated and violated me.”
The Olympian also called Nassar’s letter on Thursday, in which he called the sentencing hearing a “media circus,” “pathetic.”
“You think this is hard for you? Imagine how all of us feel,” Raisman said. “Imagine how it feels to be an innocent teenager in a foreign country, hearing a knock on the door, and it’s you. I don’t want you to be there, but I don’t have a choice.”
Raisman later turned her attention to USA Gymnastics for continuing to employ Nassar, despite allegations against him. Her speech came a day after USA Gymnastics announced it was cutting ties with the Karyoli Ranch, where gymnasts said they were abused.
“Yesterday, USA Gymnastics announced that it was terminating its lease at the ranch, where so many of us were abused,” Raisman noted. “I am glad that it is no longer a national team training site, but USA Gymnastics neglected to mention that they had athletes training there the day they released the statement. USA Gymnastics, where is the honesty? Where is the transparency? Why must the manipulation continue?”
Raisman asked the judge to give Nassar the maximum sentence for his crimes.
“Let this sentence strike fear in anyone who thinks it is OK to hurt another person,” Raisman said. “Abusers, your time is up. The survivors are here, standing tall, and we are not going anywhere. And please, your honor, stress the need to investigate how this happened so that we can hold accountable those who empowered and enabled Larry Nassar. So we can repair and once again believe in this wonderful sport.”
After Raisman spoke, she earned a round of applause from the courtroom. She was followed by former teammate Jordyn Wieber, who said Nassar abused her when she was 14 and her concerns were ignored.
As CNN notes, over 70 victims have already given statements, with 50 more expected to speak. Nassar faces up to 40 years in prison for molesting girls a doctor for Michigan State University. He has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison on federal child pornography charges.
Photo credit: Instagram/ Aly Raisman
