Doctor hears accounts from those he sexually abused
Almost 160 women and girls are coming forward in a Michigan courtroom to confront Larry Nassar, the former sports doctor who molested them under the guise of medical treatment.
Their victim statements are coming during an extraordinary sentencing hearing for Nassar, who has admitted sexually assaulting athletes while employed by Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. Here are excerpts of some victims’ statements over the last week.
The first victim to speak was Kyle Stephens, who said Nassar repeatedly abused her from age 6 until age 12 during family visits to his home in Holt, Michigan.
“I testified to let the world know that you are a repulsive liar and those ‘treatments’ were pathetically veiled sexual abuse,” she said. “Perhaps you have figured it out by now, but little girls don’t stay little forever. They grow into strong women that return to destroy your world.”
A 2000 Olympian, Jamie Dantzscher, looked at Nassar as she said: “How dare you ask any of us for forgiveness.”
“Your days of manipulation are over,” she added. “We have a voice. We have the power now.”
Clasina Syrovy, who competed as a gymnast for 15 years, fought back tears as she confronted him.
“Larry, how many of us are there? Do you even know?” she said. “You preyed on me, on us. You saw a way to take advantage of your position — the almighty and trusted gymnastics doctor. Shame on you, Larry. Shame on you.”
Syrovy said speaking up will allow her to move forward.
“After today, I will not cry anymore,” she told Nassar. “I am done. ... You are a disaster.”
Physical therapist and former gymnast Marta Stern spoke on the fifth day of the hearing, saying she originally wanted to remain anonymous “out of fear of how it would affect my life, my loved ones and my career.”
“However, I will no longer let you have control over me. I will not let you win,” she told Nassar.
Melissa Imrie said she was assaulted in 1997, when she was 12, after breaking her tailbone. She described the severe depression, sleeplessness and other issues that plagued her for years.
“Everybody’s story that I listened to today is just an echo of everything that I’ve went through. They’re just speaking like it’s my voice.”
She said she wants young athletes “to be safe from sexual predators,
from this kind of abuse.”
Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman initially said she wouldn’t attend the hearing because it would be too traumatic, but the 23-year-old later showed up in court and spoke directly to Nassar.
“You have not taken gymnastics away from me. I love this sport, and that love is stronger than the evil that resides in you, in those who enabled you to hurt many people,” Raisman said.
Emma Ann Miller, 15, said Michigan State University was still billing her mother for medical appointments in which Nassar molested Miller as recently as August 2016 — a week before he was fired.
In her statement to the court, Miller directly addressed Michigan State.
“I, like all those that have spoken, didn’t choose this circumstance to have the right to be standing in front of this podium today. Nassar made that choice for us — your 20year child-molesting employee.”
Former gymnast Lindsey Lemke, 22, was among the victims criticizing USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon. The school is being sued by dozens of women who say campus officials wrote off complaints about Nassar.
Referring to Simon, she said: “Guess what? You’re a coward, too.”
And to Nassar: “You sit up here, shake your head back and forth. You abused us and you don’t even remember. That’s sickening.”
Lemke listened as her mother, Cristy Lemke-Akeo, also gave a statement in which she described Nassar as a family friend who was “someone we completely trusted.” Nassar “ultimately abused her on a daily basis for
many years, starting around the age of 10,” her mother said.
Marion Siebert described the ordeal that victims like herself will face going forward.
“Every time someone Googles them, for the rest of their lives, they will see the sickening things we’re talking about here today. When they apply for a job, when they go on a first date, they won’t be able to be the ones to fully make the choice on when to talk about what happened. This terrible part of their past is exposed to all.”
Sisters Maddie and Kara Johnson both gave statements about being abused by Nassar.
“He was the doctor. I was the child. I had no idea what to think,” Maddie Johnson said. “For the longest time, you deprived me of my happiness. Because of you, every time I hear someone call me, ‘Kiddo,’ I think of the face you made when you were abusing me.”
Her sister said: “I will never be able to get back what you have so effortlessly taken . ... After this is all over, I can finally be a senior in high school again.”
Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber made a surprise appearance in court and, like many of the victims, allowed her name to be used publicly.
“Even though I’m a victim, I do not and will not live my life as one. I’m an Olympian despite being abused. I worked hard and managed to achieve my goal.”
McKayla Maroney, a 2012 Olympic gold and silver medalist, had a statement read in court in which she said being sexually assaulted by Nassar scarred her mind in ways that may never heal.
“Dr. Nassar was not a doctor,” she wrote. “He left scars on my psyche that may never go away.”