By Ben Sales/(JTA) – Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman testified in court last week against Larry Nassar, the former USA gymnastics national team physician who’s been accused of sexual abuse by more than 140 women, including some of the star gymnasts from the past few Olympic Games. Nassar has pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault, and Raisman was one of several gymnasts delivering a victim impact statements in court. In the searing, 13-minute speech, Raisman condemned him and praised her teammates for coming forward. “Larry, you do realize now that we, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force, and you are nothing.”
Raisman also called out USA gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee for turning a blind eye to the many allegations of abuse over the years. She said “talk is cheap” and called for an independent investigation of Nassar’s abuse and how it was allowed to continue for so long. “If over these many years, just one adult listened and had the courage and character to act, this tragedy could have been avoided,” she said.