Another U. S. Olympian, Simone Biles, admitted Monday that she is also a victim of Dr. Larry Nassar.
Nassar’s sentencing in Lansing is set to begin Tuesday. It’s scheduled to last four days, which is extremely rare.
Nassar has already pleaded guilty to abusing young girls, so it’s no longer a matter of whether or not he did it. It’s now a matter of how long he’ll spend in prison.
Before a defendant is sentenced, the victims in the case are allowed to give what’s called a victim impact statement. It lasts just a few minutes, and the entire sentencing lasts around 45 minutes or an hour.
Nassar’s sentencing is scheduled for four days because Judge Rose Marie Aquilina is allowing every victim to speak, even if they’re not a part of the criminal case.
Wayne State law professor Peter Hennings said it’s really all the court can do for the many victims.
« I expect the judge sees this as a means to get some closure, » Hennings said. « Will it make the victims heal? What more can the courts do? »
At last count, nearly 90 victims plan on giving a statement, either in person, a taped video message from a live video feed or a written message. It comes as one of the worst sexual abusers in history learns his fate.
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