A scathing congressional report details how former U.S. Olympic gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar managed to abuse more than 300 athletes over two decades due to ineffective oversight by the Olympic organizations, NBC News reported on Tuesday.
The report, which was obtained by NBC before publication, outlines the findings of an 18-month investigation by the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, the body that oversees the Olympics.
It also includes proposed legislation to improve oversight and prevent future abuse.
"Terrible things happened," said Sen. Jerry Moran, chair of the subcommittee. "In many instances they were reported and, almost without exception, the people that they were reported to didn't respond."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the ranking member of the subcommittee, told NBC that "Whether it was a criminal cover-up remains to be proven, but it was a cover-up in spirit."
The report concluded that Michigan State University, where Nassar also worked, USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the FBI "had opportunities to stop Nassar but failed to do so."
It also concludes that between the summer of 2015 and September 2016, the Olympic organizations "knowingly concealed abuse by Nassar, leading to the abuse of dozens of additional amateur athletes." The relevant organizations all had reports about his abuse more than a year before anything was done.
USA Gymnastics CEO and president Li Li Leung said in a statement that the organization has "already made numerous changes designed to prevent the opportunity for abuse to occur. We have made it our top priority to become an athlete-centric organization that keeps athlete safety and well-being at the forefront."
Nassar, who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 10 minors in January 2018, is serving a prison sentence of up to 175 years.
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