Aly Raisman Blasts USA Gymnastics for ‘Victim Shaming’ Larry Nassar Accusers

“STOP VICTIM SHAMING,” Raisman tweeted. “Your statements are hurtful.”

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Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman criticized USA Gymnastics Wednesday after yet another American gymnast came forward to say she was sexually abused by former team doctor Larry Nassar. 

Maggie Nichols identified herself Tuesday as the first athlete to bring allegations of abuse against Nassar. She was 15 at the time.

Nichols’s lawyer, John Manly, said Tuesday that USA Gymnastics tried to bury the allegations against Nassar when they surfaced in 2015 because they didn’t want negative publicity to impact the Rio Olympics or the Los Angeles bid to host the 2028 games. In a statement released after Nichols’s revelation, USA Gymnastics commended her for coming forward and denied Manly’s accusations of a cover up. 

Raisman said Wednesday that USAG was still not doing enough to help Nassar’s victims and prevent similar crimes from occurring in the future. 

.@USAGym STOP VICTIM SHAMING. Your statements are hurtful. If you did not believe that I & others were abused than why pressure & manipulate us? WE WERE MOLESTED BY A MONSTER U ENABLED 2 THRIVE FOR DECADES. You are 100% responsible. It was mandatory to get "treatment" by Nassar.

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) January 10, 2018

We must investigate to figure out the many flaws in @USAGym system. We must understand how this happened to make sure it never occurs again. This problem is bigger than Penny and Nassar. The system has to change so that athletes are safe. Enablers need to be held accountable.

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) January 10, 2018

If athlete safety is the number 1 priority for @TeamUSA & @USAGym , why don’t they want to know all the factors that contributed to the worst case of sexual abuse in the history of sports? #INVESTIGATE #WeNeedAnswers

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) January 10, 2018

Allegations against Nassar date back to his time at Michigan State. More than 100 women have filed formal complaints against him. He was convicted on child pornography charges and sentenced to 60 years in federal prison.