Athlete A, the documentary of Netflix that narrates the terror that hundreds of gymnasts from United States who were sexually abused by their doctor for over 20 years, Larry Nassar, details how the current prisoner was discovered, but also unmasks the cloudy way in which the Gymnastics Federation He hid the accusations and even betrayed the girls themselves in the midst of trial.
Today, Nassar faces two sentences of more than 60 years each, by Sexual abuse and possession of child pornographyHowever, its history begins years ago.
THE GOOD BOY
Larry reached the United States gymnastics team, almost on par with marriage Karoly, Bela and Marta, coaches who took Nadia Comaneci and the Romanian gymnastics to the top of the Olympus under a method of physical and psychological exploitation that although brought results in competitions, left the athletes damaged in the human part, almost for life.
In the midst of all that suffering, Nassar He was seen as the ‘good man’, a kind, charismatic and funny guy, who He consented to the girls, without them knowing that at the same time, he also abused them.
Under the pretext of Medical reviews The physiotherapeutic methods, the doctor inserted his fingers into the intimate parts of women, including some, with their parents in front of him. The great charisma and affection that the gymnasts had taken to Larry, made them see these acts as something normal, but over the years, the victims continued to increase without anyone doing anything about it.
From amateur athletes to olympic competitors They were part of the list of abused women, until in 2015, the second best gymnast in the country raised her voice.
Is about Maggie Nichols, the one with the best numbers behind the star, Simone Biles, who went directly to USA Gymnastics to report that Larry Nassar he had touched her improperly. The president of the organization, Steve Pennyacknowledged that there had already been other similar complaints and that the FBI was already doing research, which is why he asked Nichols and his family not to file a formal complaint with the authorities.
But it was all a lie Penny never did anything about it and only shelved the matter; by that time I had already filed almost a hundred accusations of gymnasts against Nassar.
They let 15 months pass since the accusation of Nichols until an investigation of the newspaper Indy Star of Indianapolis uncovered the sewer. In May 2016, it published a series of unproven complaints and accusations registered in USA Gymnastics against Larry, which were not reported to the authorities, despite the fact that it is stipulated in the law. Thereafter, the victims began to raise their voices and began to tell their terrifying stories with the former doctor.
The first to do so was Rachel Denhollander, he followed Jamie Dantzscher, Olympic athlete in Sidney 2000 And so 125 women joined who wanted to give voice to a fight of years of abuse without punishment by Nassar and USA Gymnastics.
In that same 2018, the Olympic and world multi-medalist, Simone Biles confirmed that she was also one of the abused and since then the complaints and accusations are not only for Larry, but also for different organizations that knew about the situation on time and never did anything. Among them is the United States Olympic Committee.
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