The Justice Department announced a settlement on Tuesday with victims of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, resolving their claims of wrongdoing against the FBI in its failures to investigate allegations of sexual abuse. “For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability,” Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a statement. “These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements won’t undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing.”
The settlement follows a years-long investigation by the Justice Department into the FBI’s handling of the Nassar case. In 2015, Nassar was accused of sexual abuse by several gymnasts, including Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney. The FBI opened an investigation into the allegations, but it was later found that the agency had failed to properly investigate the case and had mishandled evidence.
As part of the settlement, the FBI has agreed to pay $3.25 million to victims of Nassar’s abuse. The settlement also requires the FBI to create a new unit to investigate allegations of sexual abuse and to provide training to its agents on how to handle such cases.
The settlement is a significant step forward for the victims of Nassar’s abuse. It provides them with compensation for the harm they suffered and it helps to ensure that the FBI takes allegations of sexual abuse seriously in the future.
In addition to the settlement, the Justice Department has also announced that it will be conducting a review of the FBI’s handling of the Nassar case. The review will be led by former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and will examine the FBI’s policies and procedures for investigating allegations of sexual abuse.
