Each story had the common thread of a revered doctor preying on a young female. Yet each was devastating in its own way, as Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina listened to 30 victim statements Tuesday during the first day of Nassar’s sentencing hearing.
They ranged in age from 16 to 39.
One said she was first sexually assaulted in 1992, and may have been Larry Nassar’s first victim. One was a patient of the Michigan State University sports doctor when he was fired in September 2016.
Some only saw Nassar once or twice. Others were longtime patients. Some saw him as a good friend, a confidante, a mentor.
Each story had the common thread of a revered doctor preying on a young female. Yet each was devastating in its own way, as Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina listened to 30 victim statements Tuesday during the first day of Nassar’s sentencing hearing.
What Larry Nassar’s victims said when they confronted him in court
Nassar, once a nationally renowned doctor who was team doctor for U. S. gymnasts at four Olympic games, will be sentenced this week on seven first-degree criminal sexual abuse charges for touching his patients’ genital areas under the guise of medical treatment.
However, nearly 150 women have accused Nassar of abuse, and almost 100 are scheduled to speak at the sentencing hearing.
It was an emotionally wrenching day in the packed courtroom, with victims and their family members clutching tissues as they listened to each others’ stories.
‘I will never be the same.’ Nassar’s victims confront him in court
One by one, the victims described how Nassar’s « treatments » for sports injuries included extended penetration of their vagina or anus with his fingers, and how it was confusing and humiliating and painful. Some said nothing, assuming that a highly respected doctor was beyond reproach. Others complained, only to be told they were misreading the situation.
In every case, the victims said, the abuse had a lasting impact.
Donna Markham described how her daughter Chelsey spiraled into depression and drug abuse after the girl was assaulted by Nassar at age 12. Chelsey committed suicide 10 years ago, at age 23.
« Every day I miss (her), » Donna Markham said. « Every day. And it all started with him. »
Amanda Cormier, a Nassar patient for two years, said she dreads holiday gatherings because being touched and hugged provokes such anxiety.
Ashley Erickson, a patient for Nassar for 17 years, said she didn’t believe it at first when others publicly denounced Nassar’s medical treatments as abusive. As she’s came to accept that she was a victim, too, it’s shaken her to her core.
« Ever since I realized what he was actually doing, I’ve been through hell, » Erickson said. « I have to rethink everything. I have no trust left. How can I trust when someone I trusted for years, took advantage of me? »
Lindsey Schuitt, who lives in South Korea and presented her statement via video, said she understood immediately that Nassar’s treatment was abuse, and she told her mother and a high school teacher.
They dismissed her concerns, and her mother sent Schuitt to a second Nassar appointment. At that second appointment, she said, she screamed every time that Nassar’s hand approached her genitals. « I wanted everybody in that building to hear something was wrong, » she said.
Nassar dropped her as a patient, Schuitt said, but the trauma of what he did and the failure of others to take action lingers on.
Aquilina repeatedly assured the victims that their voices were being heard.
While she won’t set Nassar’s sentence until the end of the week, she indicated it would be harsh.
« This monster is going to whither away — like the Wizard of Oz where they poured water and the witch whithers away, » Aquilina said. « Rehabilitation here is not in the cards. »
The sentencing hearing will continue Wednesday with more victim statements.
