Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Biles and Co. are compensated
An unbelievable amount is supposed to outweigh the abuse
Five years after the sexual abuse by doctor Larry Nassar became known, his victims are compensated. A court confirms: there is a total of $ 380 million. The US gymnastics federation is also feeling the consequences.
Hundreds of victims of convicted sex offender Larry Nassar, longtime doctor of the USA Gymnastics Association, will be compensated with a sum of around 380 million dollars (337 million euros). This was confirmed by the US Gymnastics Federation. They include the Olympic champions Simone Biles, Alexandra Raisman and McKayla Maroney. Accordingly, she and the many other victims of Nassar reached an agreement with USA Gymnastics, the Olympic and Paralympic Committees of the USA and their insurers.
“USA Gymnastics deeply regrets the trauma and pain suffered by victims as a result of this organization’s acts and omissions,” said Li Li Leung, USAG President and CEO. “Alone and as a group, the survivors campaigned for sustainable change in this sport,” she said. In addition to the financial compensation, the association has also committed itself to guaranteeing the safety of athletes in the future through various measures and the involvement of survivors in decision-making bodies.
58-year-old Nassar is serving a life sentence. He pleaded guilty in late 2017 and early 2018 to sexually abusing female athletes while serving as a sports medicine specialist for the U.S. Gymnastics Federation and Michigan State University (MSU). A total of three judgments had been passed against Nassar, and he was sentenced to prison terms of up to 175 years for his criminal assaults, including against minors. In total, hundreds of gymnasts and their parents had sued him.
In 2018 Michigan State University had already promised $ 500 million in compensation. Nassar had taught medicine and worked as a doctor there and is believed to have committed most of the known abuses there.
“No amount of money will ever repair the damage”
According to a report in the “New York Times”, the majority of the money is raised by insurers of the US gymnastics association USAG and the National Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). The USOPC contributes $ 34 million and grants USAG a loan of six million euros. According to the association, the money is to be held in trust and paid out to the victims in coordination with the Survivors’ Committee.
“No amount of money will ever repair the damage that was done and what these women went through,” said Rachael Denhollander, who became the first former gymnast to testify against Nassar in 2016. “But at some point the negotiations have to end because these women need help – and they need it now.” According to her, it is not yet clear how large the sum will be for each of the victims. An independent mediator will take into account numerous factors such as the length and severity of the abuse in the calculation.
The agreement, which was confirmed by the US bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday, had already been reached on November 19. By that date, USAG creditors had had to agree to an association’s bankruptcy plan. The association had filed for bankruptcy protection on December 5, 2018 in view of the millions lawsuit of the abuse victims. This procedure ends with the agreement. USAG will end the bankruptcy in the coming weeks, the association said.