Less than two weeks after two gymnasts accused Michigan State University faculty member and USA Olympic doctor Larry G. Nassar of sexual abuse, 16 more women have filed similar complaints.
The complaints were released by the MSU police website in conjunction with the federal Clery Act, which legally requires all universities on federal financial aid programs to publish any criminal allegations that occurred on or near a university’s campus. (Nassar is also being investigated outside of MSU by local police.)
According to the document released by MSU, 16 new allegations of sexual abuse occurring at MSU’s Sports Medicine address, Nassar’s home address, and a building adjacent to Sports Medicine have been logged. The allegations are highlighted in yellow below.
While the majority of the women who made the accusations have not made any public statements, five of them spoke directly to IndyStar about their experiences with the physician. The alleged victims say that Nassar’s “elite” role as an Olympic doctor made it easier for him to manipulate the many young women who sought his treatment.
“He was like this hero in...sports medicine, especially for gymnastics, because the injuries and type of stress you’re putting on your body are so different than any other sport,” one woman, Katherine, told IndyStar. “A trainer and doctor for the U.S. Olympic team accessible in Michigan; it was like, everyone thought it was amazing.”
Nassar allegedly digitally penetrated Katherine multiple times over a two-year period, starting when she was 15 years old.
The 16 alleged instances of abuse occurred as long ago as 1996 and as recently as September 2015 ― which, according to IndyStar, also happens to be when Nassar was fired from his position with USA Gymnastics.
On September 20, MSU announced that it had fired Nassar, but Nassar, via his legal team has denied that he committed abuse.
Matthew Newburg, Nassar’s lawyer, sent the following statement to The Huffington Post:
On behalf of Dr. Nassar, attorneys Matt Newburg and Shannon Smith, issue the following statement:
Dr. Nassar has never denied that he used medical techniques involving vaginal penetration and in fact, he provided the police with detailed information about the techniques he used to treat athletes and patients for decades.
These techniques are medically accepted and appropriate treatments, according to doctors who practice osteopathic manual medicine.
Any allegations that Dr. Nassar was performing these procedures for any purpose other than proper medical treatment are patently false and untrue.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
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