On Wednesday, Simone Biles and her fellow Team USA teammates testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and went off on the FBI and convicted demon, Larry Nassar.
The powerful and gutwrenching testimony by gymnasts Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols was painful for everyone in the room and those watching it.
“To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse,” said Biles as she testified through her tears of pain.
Everyone knows who Larry Nassar is. The demonic ex-trainer preyed on innocent young girls for years, going unchecked by a system that turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the pleas of those he abused.
That system consisted of Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, former coaches, and the F.B.I.
According to a recent report published by the Department of Justice’s inspector general, F.B.I. agents failed to respond to accusations against Nassar in the summer of 2015.
The report said agents lacked the “seriousness and urgency” required in that situation. They mishandled evidence and actually made false statements afterward to cover up the mistakes they made.
“It truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us,” said Biles.
She added the agents should be held accountable and prosecuted for their failures.
Senators at the hearing raised questions about the Department of Justice not taking action against the agents, but the Department decline the invitation to answer questions at the hearing.
The pain and horrors the gymnasts shared on Wednesday ripped at the innards of us all.
Their testimony was extremely difficult to hear. It left us seething but it was necessary as it was a powerful reminder and lesson for us all.
We need to protect our children no matter the cost.
As parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors, we must remain vigilant of the Larry Nassars of the world for they are present everywhere.
They come in every shade and size.
They exist in every neighborhood and income bracket.
They might be a stranger, friend, coach, or family member.
Regardless of the shape, location, title, or personality, it is our duty to watch, listen, discuss and take action.
If the pleas of these brave young women were acknowledged properly from jump, this could have ended in 2015.
Instead, Nassar continued his abuse, scarring the lives of young girls forever.
“The scars of this horrific abuse continue to live with all of us,” said Biles at the hearing
The most chilling account of Nassar’s reign of terror came from Olympian McKayla Maroney. She testified that he repeatedly abused her, even at the London Olympics in 2012.
Maroney disclosed the abuse she suffered at an event in Tokyo where she was certain that she “was going to die that night because there was no way he was going to let me go.”
“That evening I was naked, completely alone, with him on top of me, molesting me for hours,” said Maroney.
In 2015, Maroney spoke with an F.B.I. agent about her abuse. The three-hour call transpired before she even told her mother about what was happening.
At the end of the call, she said the agent asked “Is that all?”
That response was crushing to the already reeling then 19-year-old.
“Not only did the F.B.I. not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said,” testified Maroney. “They chose to lie about what I said and protect a serial child molester rather than protect not only me but countless others.”
If Maroney’s testimony doesn’t get your blood boiling, you need to check for a pulse because you might be dead.
This lack of empathy is infuriating and further damages victims who are already dying inside.
It adds to their feeling of emptiness and their existing distrust in the system.
In response, F.B.I. director Christopher A. Wray shockingly admitted the agency completely mishandled the case and apologized to all of the victims.
He also informed everyone that the agent handling Maroney’s case had been fired.
“I’m sorry that so many people let you down again and again,” said Wray, who became director in 2017. “I am especially sorry that there were people at the F.B.I. who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed, and that is inexcusable. It never should have happened, and we are doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again.”
The apology was heartfelt, surprising, and welcoming, but it does nothing to remove the scars haunting Nassar’s victims.
In their explosive and scathing report, the Justice Department revealed the F.B.I. took more than a year to ramp up its investigation into Nassar.
That gave him more time to abuse more girls.
According to the report, that added 70 or more victims to his demonic list.
Yet that could actually be closer to 120 victims according to John Manly, a lawyer for one of the victims.
“This is a devastating indictment of the F.B.I. and the Department of Justice that multiple federal agents covered up Nassar’s abuse and child molestation,” said Manly. “They’ve failed these women. They’ve failed these families. No one seems to give a damn about these little girls.”
And he’s absolutely right.
Authorities and adults failed these young girls and young women and should be held responsible.
But this is also a failure by those around the young gymnasts who were forced to camouflage their pain and humiliation with makeup and bodysuits.
They bravely disguised their suffering while we celebrated their athletic achievements.
As parents, friends, family, and protectors, that’s on us.
It is our responsibility to teach our children what’s appropriate and ask them questions.
“Is someone bothering you? Did anyone touch you?”
We must ask these questions.
We must watch their behavior and the situations they’re in. If their personality or behavior suddenly changes, it’s our job to find out why and what’s wrong, no matter how difficult it might be.
And it’s our responsibility to take immediate action if something is wrong. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
So when the next Maggie Nichols, who was the first gymnast to report Nassar’s abuse, tells you something, listen and do something about it.
You might just stop the next Larry Nassar.
