Obscenity: Sometimes We Really Do Know It When We See It
That's a Supreme Court reference, but it instantly came to mind when I read the disgusting news that Olympic organizations and the FBI knew Larry Nassar was molesting young female gymnasts but didn't do anything for a year -- or actually more, it seems.
Brianna Sacks writes at Buzzfeed that a congressional report found that the agencies had opportunities to stop the doctor but did not and "knowingly concealed" his abuse:
Nassar was sentenced to 40-175 years in prison in Michigan after dozens of his victims, including Olympic medalists, confronted him in court and he was found guilty on multiple counts of sexual abuse and federal child pornography charges. At his sentencing in January 2018, 133 women and girls delivered harrowing, emotional, and powerful statements about the abuse they suffered.After an 18-month investigation, which included interviews with more than a dozen athletes, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection found that, from summer 2015 to September 2016, the Olympic organizations hid the extent of Nassar's crimes from the public and athletic community "to the detriment of dozens of women and girls who were sexually abused during this period of concealment."
"They turned a blind eye to the ongoing evil of this monster," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat and ranking member of the subcommittee, told reporters on a call. "He was enabled and emboldened by people in positions of trust who looked the other way."
The 235-page report outlines how federal authorities, the US Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, and Michigan State University failed to stop Nassar, despite receiving a slew of warnings about his abuse that spanned years under the guise of performing what he said was a legitimate medical procedure. As a result, "hundreds of women and girls were sexually abused by Larry Nassar," the report stated.
It wasn't until 2015, after receiving multiple credible reports that Nassar abused US gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Maggie Nichols, that the FBI started investigating the doctor. However, Nassar was still able to see patients for hundreds of days.
"The FBI failed to pursue a course of action that would have immediately protected victims in harm's way. Instead, the FBI's investigation dragged on and was shuffled between field offices," the report states.
While there is no clear conclusion, the lawmakers determined that those in positions of power "prioritized their own reputation" over the health and safety of athletes.
I would love to see the girls and women who were molested after authorities were warned about Nassar (in credible ways) to sue the fuck out of those authorities.
Another case: A coach named Conrad Montgomery Avondale Mainwaring, who worked with Olympic-level athletes -- males -- and molested many of them.
And no one from the FBI will ever lose their job over this mistake, let alone go to jail.
Shtetl G at August 2, 2019 7:00 AM
I would love to see the girls and women who were molested after authorities were warned about Nassar (in credible ways) to sue the fuck out of those authorities.
Those authorities will be given a pass because of "qualified immunity", the theory that even incompetent bureaucrats should not be held personally responsible for doing a poor job. They might sue the departments involved, and they might win but it will be tax payer footing the bill.
For all we know, Shtetl, they might get a promotion. For example:
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/07/31/trump-nixes-nams-for-4-prosecutors-tied-to-seal-case/
I R A Darth Aggie at August 2, 2019 7:41 AM
Girls gymnastics has a known pedo problem. That's why the clubs even run checks on parent volunteers and will ask for ID when you attend events. They'll also advise parents not to post pictures of the girls online and have to screen membership in online gymnastics forums.
You have to wonder if Nassar got away with his behavior for so long because he was being shielded by other pedophiles.
Kara at August 2, 2019 6:42 PM
You have to wonder if Nassar got away with his behavior for so long because he was being shielded by other pedophiles.
Kara at August 2, 2019 6:42 PM
And the parents.... how many of them were complicit in this?
Isab at August 2, 2019 8:08 PM
Is there anyone else who always thought of women's gymnastics as weirdly sexual anyway? The silly music for dance routines without dancing, the butt-sticking-in-the-air before athletic maneuvers, the nipple-titty uniforms and all the rest?
It was like a bunch of stupidity just appeared at the Olympics all at once, including the demented sexuality of it, and the entire culture decided to pretend it was some proud tradition that we had happened not to have known about.
Crid at August 3, 2019 9:56 AM
Probably lots, if not all, the parents were complicit in this.
Too many parents of little girls these days seem weirdly blasé about sexualizing their daughters through pageants, cheerleading, modeling, gymnastics, ballet, etc.
Far too many women's "sports" have become little more than poorly-disguised stripper dances with sexualized routines snd some sort of athleticism required.
Conan the Grammarian at August 3, 2019 11:24 AM
“Girls gymnastics has a known pedo problem. That's why the clubs even run checks on parent volunteers and will ask for ID when you attend events. They'll also advise parents not to post pictures of the girls online and have to screen membership in online gymnastics forums.”
If you need an ID to watch a competition, you shouldn’t be holding it.
And of course the parents/ coaches
/organization are now weirdly obsessed with protecting their girls from some guy getting a boner by looking at the girls in public or their pictures online while letting the real pedophiles who are coaches, doctors, trainers, and parents, *actually molest* them freely at their leisure, under the protection of the organization.
Toxic hypocrisy.
Isab at August 3, 2019 1:26 PM
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