US star gymnast accuses team doctor of sex abuse
Olympic heroine Simone Biles among 140 women who claim to have been molested by Larry Nassar
SHE was America’s Olympic sweetheart, a bubbly and ferociously talented athlete who brought home four gold medals from the Rio Games, leading many to consider her the country’s greatest ever gymnast.
But last night Simone Biles, 20, made the stunning accusation that she too had been sexually abused by former Team USA gymnastics sports doctor Larry Nassar.
Nassar, currently serving a 60-year jail sentence for having child sex abuse images on his computer, will today face some of the 140 female accusers in a Michigan courtroom in a separate case.
In what is expected to be a weeklong court session, 88 of the women and girls who say Nassar sexually abused them are scheduled to give victim-impact statements.
And on the eve of sentencing, Biles published on Twitter a devastating account of the abuse she suffered, revealing for the first time that she – like her team-mate Gabby Douglas, who won gold with Biles in the team event in Rio – was a victim of Nassar.
“I too am one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar,” wrote Biles. “Most of you know me as a happy, giggly and energetic girl. But lately I’ve felt broken and the more I try to shut off the voice in my head, the louder it screams. I am not afraid to tell my story any more.
“For too long I have asked myself, ‘Was I too naive? Was it my fault?’ I now know the answers to those questions. No. No, it was not my fault. No, I will not and should not carry the guilt that belongs to Larry Nassar, USAG [USA Gymnastics], and others.”
Ohio-born Biles captivated America with her story of triumph over adversity. Abandoned by her father and neglected by her drug-addict mother, she was raised by her grandparents, who recognised her talent at an early age.
Her precocious gifts saw her catapult to stardom: companies including Nike, Hershey’s, Kellogg’s and United Airlines signed her up to push their products. Next month, a biopic of her life will air on US channel Lifetime.
And her accusations will fuel the fire engulfing USAG. The organisation has been criticised by some its biggest stars, including Olympians Aly Raisman and Mckayla Maroney, who say that after they told a private investigator about Nassar, the organisation tried to keep them quiet.
“@USAGYM STOP VICTIM SHAMING. Your statements are hurtful,” tweeted Raisman last week.
“If you did not believe that I & others were abused than why pressure & manipulate us? WE WERE MOLESTED BY A MONSTER U ENABLED 2 THRIVE FOR DECADES. You are 100% responsible. It was mandatory to get ‘treatment’ by Nassar.”
The group’s president, Steve Penny, was forced out last year because of the handling of the Nassar allegations and other sexual abuse cases.
In a statement in November, USA Gymnastics said it was “appalled by the conduct of which Larry Nassar is accused,” and “very sorry that any athlete has been harmed during her or his gymnastics career”.
‘The more I try to shut off the voice in my head, the louder it screams. I am not afraid to tell my story any more’