DETROIT (AP) — The United States Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that it reached a $138.7 million settlement with over 100 women who accused the FBI of mishandling reports of sexual abuse against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical period of time that allowed the sports doctor to continue abusing victims before he was arrested.
With the addition of other agreements, a total of 1 billion dollars have been allocated by various organizations to compensate hundreds of women who reported that Nassar abused them under the guise of receiving treatment for sports injuries.
Nassar was sentenced to decades in prison for sexually assaulting gymnasts, including Olympic medalists.
He admitted to sexually assaulting athletes while working at Michigan State University and at the United States Gymnastics Federation, which trains Olympic athletes. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
Deputy prosecutor Benjamin Mizer said that Nassar betrayed the trust of those under his care and medical supervision for decades, and that "the allegations should have been taken seriously from the very beginning."
"While these agreements will not remedy the harm that Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will serve to provide victims of his crimes with some of the key support they need to continue healing," Mizer said about the agreement to settle 139 accusations.
The Department of Justice acknowledged that it failed to intervene. For over a year, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Indianapolis and Los Angeles were aware of the accusations against Nassar, but apparently they did not take any action, according to an internal investigation.
FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed regret - and very critical - when he spoke with survivors at a Senate hearing in 2021. The survivors of the abuses included Olympic medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney.
The state of Michigan agreed to pay 500 million dollars to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted by Nassar. The United States Gymnastics Federation and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee reached a 380 million dollar settlement.