As we’ve been covering, around 156 young women came forward to give powerful victim impact statements during the sentencing hearing of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who sexually abused athletes for years under the guise of medical treatment.
On Wednesday, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina — AKA our new hero — put Nassar on blast by reading a despicable letter he wrote the court pretending to be the victim in all this. What a monster.
Part of the letter read:
“The media convinced them that everything I did was wrong and bad. They feel I broke their trust. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned … … The stories are being fabricated to sensualize this then the AG would only accept my plea if I said what I did was not medical and was for my own pleasure. They forced me to say that or they were going to trial.”
He has NO shame… and Aquilina was not having it.
Related: Shawn Johnson Responds To The USA Gymnastics Scandal!
Ultimately, the judge decided to sentence Nassar 40 to 175 years behind bars. This is in addition to the 60 years he’s already been given for child porn charges.
The judge said during sentencing:
“I just signed your death warrant.”
Boom.
Before the sentencing, Rachael Denhollander — who was the first survivor to speak publicly about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Nassar — was the last to share her testimony.
Rachael argued that Nassar’s sentence will send a message across the country:
“How much is a little girl worth? How much is a young woman worth?”
She also directly addressed Michigan State University, naming specific names and incidents that went unreported and silenced.
Watch her inspiring statement (below):
Nassar later addressed the court (before getting his sentence) with a short statement, saying:
“There are no words to describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred. An acceptable apology to all of you is impossible to write and convey.”
Now that this is over, we’re truly hoping the many survivors can live their lives to the fullest now that they are free of Nassar.
[Image via CBS.]
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