Nassar stated that he wanted survivors to be able “to heal” during his plea agreement. Judge said that she believes this process can only happen if Nassar is behind bars.
“I agree that now is a time of healing, but it may take them a lifetime of healing while you spend your lifetime behind bars—thinking about what you did in taking away their childhood,” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said. You were trained to heal them and did harm. You broke the oath to protect them and have harmed their feelings selfishly.
Following the sentence, USA Gymnastics President and CEO Kerry PerryShe expressed her support for survivors. “I will not waiver on my commitment to focus each and every day on our organization’s highest priority–the safety, health and well-being of our athletes,” she said. “We will foster a culture of support and empowerment for them. We are uncompromising in our commitment and I hope everything we do moving forward will reflect this.
This article was originally published on Sept. 1, 2021, at 10:54 a.m. PT and updated on Dec. 13, 2021, at 6:45 p.m. PT to reflect news of the settlement.