On Wednesday, in a Michigan courtroom, hundreds of survivors of Larry Nassar’s criminal sexual misconduct got some form of justice when Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced the former USA Gymnastics team doctor to up to 175 years in prison. This on top of the 60 years in a federal prison he’d already received for child pornography convictions.
Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman is among the almost 160 women who gave a victim impact statement in the courtroom over the past week. Last night, she posted a message of gratitude to the many people involved in the case. First she thanked her fellow survivors noting that “there are going to be good days and there are going to be tough days but continue to take strength in the impact your courageous voice has had upon each of us, but also for all the other girls, boys, women and men out there who remain in the shadows but maybe now see a pathway to the light.
Raisman, 23, thanked the prosecutors and law enforcement officials for holding Nassar accountable for his actions; the gymnastics community and her fans around the world for all of their messages of support; and of course, her family and friends. She had some special words for Judge Rosemarie Aquilina who emerged as a fierce ally for the victims.
“To Judge Aquilina, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your leadership, your professionalism, your compassion, and your commitment to allow each and EVERY ONE of us survivors the opportunity to share our impact statements in open court was extremely important and meaningful. As I shared in court, I wasn’t planning to speak, but thanks to the army of survivors and you, I am forever grateful that all of our voices are finally heard. Thank you for listening to us all.”
Finally, Raisman reminds us all that this story is not over. In thanking the media for “their efforts to shine a light on the biggest case of sexual abuse in sports history” she says that this is “bigger than Larry Nassar, or Steve Penny, or any of the [USA Gymnastics] board members who resigned this week.” She calls for an independent investigation to uncover “how this disaster happened” in order to make sure this never happens again.
“Today was an important victory but there is still work to be done.”
Read Aly’s full statement below: