On Friday, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman delivered a searing victim impact statement at Larry Nassar’s sentencing hearing that ended with the entire courtroom applauding her powerful words. The gymnast had announced on Monday that she would not be delivering testimony at the hearing, but stated that she changed her mind after watching the impact statements from the other survivors.

“Larry, you do realize now that we, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force and you are nothing?” she began. “The tables have turned, Larry, we are here, we have our voices, and we are not going anywhere. And now, Larry? It’s your turn to listen to me.”

Raisman, along with fellow Olympic gymnasts McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas and more than 130 other women, have accused the former USA Gymnastics doctor of sexually abusing them. In December, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for child pornography charges. He also pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in November. Part of his plea deal, according to ESPN, ensured that all of his accusers would be able to speak out in court.

“I am here to face you Larry, so you can see I regained my strength, that I’m no longer a victim, I’m a survivor,” Raisman continued. “I am no longer that little girl you met in Australia, where you first began grooming and manipulating.”

Raisman also tore into the six-page letter Nassar sent to the judge earlier this week saying he had concerns about what hearing survivor testimony would do to his mental health. “As for your letter yesterday, you are pathetic to think that anyone would have any sympathy for you,” said the gymnast. “You think this is hard for you? Imagine how all of us feel. Imagine how it feels to be an innocent teenager in a foreign country, hearing a knock on the door, and it’s you.”

In addition to Nassar, Raisman heavily criticized “adult after adult, many in positions of authority” who allowed Nassar’s abuse to go on. She took to task USA Gymnastics, calling out president and CEO Kerry Perry by name. “Talk is cheap,” she said. “…Kerry, I’ve never met you, and I know you weren’t around for most of this. But you accepted the position of president and CEO of USA Gymnastics, and I assume by now you are well aware of the weighty responsibility you have taken on.”

“Unfortunately, you’ve taken on an organization that I feel is rotting from the inside,” Raisman continued.

Raisman concluded her powerful statement with a reference to the #MeToo movement. “My dream is that one day, everyone will know what the words “Me Too” signify,” she said, before the court erupted in applause the judge called “well-deserved.” “But they’ll be educated and able to protect themselves from predators like Larry, so that they will never, ever, ever have to say the words, ‘Me too.'”

Hear her comments in their entirety, below:

[embedded content]

Related: Aly Raisman Had the Perfect Response When a TSA Agent Allegedly Body Shamed Her

Source link