Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is the latest athlete to step up and say she was sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
Biles, who rose to fame over her performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics when she won four gold medals, posted this on Twitter on Monday;
https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles/status/953014513837715457
“Most of you know me as a happy, giggly, and energetic girl,” she wrote. “But lately I’ve felt a bit broken and the more I try to shut off the voice in my head the louder it screams.”
“I am not afraid to tell my story anymore. I too am one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar. Please believe me when I say it was a lot harder to first speak those words out loud than it is now to put them on paper. There are many reasons that I have been reluctant to share my story, but I know now it is not my fault.”
Biles filed her Twitter post under the #metoo hashtag, which is being used to raise awareness of sexual harassment and abuse.
Nassar, a longtime US women’s gymnastics team physician who has been accused of sexually abusing more than 140 women and girls under the guise of medical treatment, was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for an existing child abuse images case. Now he awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in a Michigan court last year.
Biles’s USA team-mates, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas have also accused Nassar of sexual abuse with Maroney filing a lawsuit against USA Gymnastics last month, alleging that she was paid to sign a confidential financial settlement to remain silent on the incident.
Biles said she was encouraged to come forward after hearing the stories of her fellow athletes.
“After hearing the brave stories of my friends and other survivors, I know that this horrific experience does not define me,” she wrote.
“I am much more than this. I am unique, smart, talented, motivated, and passionate. I have promised myself that my story will be much greater than this and I promise all of you that I will never give up. I will compete with all of my heart and soul every time I step into the gym.”
USA Gymnastics has come under fire over its handling of sexual abuse cases, in the wake of the Nassar scandal, investigation has revealed the failure to report to authorities many allegations of abuse against coaches and staff at some of more than 3,500 clubs across the US.
