U.S. elite gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman testified before Congress Wednesday about what they say were failures in FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse case against Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor.
Biles testified that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a “blind eye” to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women.
Before that, Maroney testified that the FBI interviewed herself and other witnesses with utter indifference — after an horrific description of abuse that took 3 hours to complete, one FBI agent allegedly told Maroney matter-of-factly, “Is that all?” Maroney said the FBI agent then misrepresented her allegations and falsified his reports.
The hearing is part of a congressional effort to hold the FBI accountable after multiple missteps in investigating the case, including the delays that allowed the now-imprisoned Nassar to abuse other young gymnasts.
An internal investigation by the Justice Department released in July said that the FBI made fundamental errors in the probe and did not treat the case with the “utmost seriousness” after USA Gymnastics first reported the allegations to the FBI’s field office in Indianapolis in 2015.
The FBI has acknowledged its own conduct was inexcusable. At least 40 girls and women said they were molested AFTER the FBI had been made aware of the problem. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified “I don’t have a good answer for you” when asked to explain why the gymnasts’ complaints were ignored.
Source- ABC
