\u00ab\u00a0It\u2019s our daughters today, who would it be tomorrow?\u00a0\u00bb<\/b>
\nThe mothers of athletes who accused sports doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault are demanding systemic changes take place to prevent future abuses, with one of them telling ABC News, \u00ab\u00a0It\u2019s our daughters today, who would it be tomorrow?\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0We so trusted this man, my child, Sterling, would not have been there… if we didn\u2019t implicitly trust him,\u00a0\u00bb Kyle Keiser, the mother of Sterling Riethman, one of Nassar’s former patients who accused him of sexual misconduct in a civil suit, told ABC News.
\u00ab\u00a0He was maniacally genius in the way he groomed me as a parent and my daughter as a victim,\u00a0\u00bb Keiser said, adding that the trust \u00ab\u00a0was built over years.\u00a0\u00bb
Nassar, a former Michigan State University (MSU) and USA Gymnastics doctor, was sentenced to 60 years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to federal child pornography charges.
Nassar also pleaded guilty last month to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving girls who were 15 years old or younger in Ingham County, Michigan, as well as three other counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County, Michigan. In addition, he has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 125 women and girls in civil lawsuits.
Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas have publicly said they were abused by the disgraced doctor.
Sterling Riethman has joined a lawsuit alleging that MSU had received complaints as far back as 2000 and failed to investigate properly. Keiser told ABC News that she believes MSU, the institution that housed Nassar’s practice for decades, failed to protect young athletes from the his widespread abuse.
\u00ab\u00a0If MSU had listened to the reports that started in 1996, my child would not have been a patient, and then she would not have been a victim,\u00a0\u00bb Keiser said. \u00ab\u00a0How many other dozens of young women are in that same situation?\u00a0\u00bb
She added that if a thorough investigation had been launched when the first allegations emerged against Nassar, scores of victims could have been protected, telling ABC News, \u00ab\u00a0It could have been stopped.\u00a0\u00bb
Jason Cody, a spokesperson for MSU said in a statement this November that the university \u00ab\u00a0unequivocally denies\u00a0\u00bb the accusation that the university \u00ab\u00a0is engaged in a \u2018cover up of misconduct by university administrators.'\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0Moreover, MSU has consistently promised if it were to find any employee knew of and acquiesced in Nassar\u2019s misconduct, the university would immediately report it to law enforcement,\u00a0\u00bb Cody added. \u00ab\u00a0As for the call for an independent investigation, the FBI and MSU Police Department conducted a joint investigation earlier this year to determine whether any university employee other than Nassar engaged in criminal conduct. The results of that investigation were sent to the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. We have no reason to believe that any criminal conduct was found.\u00a0\u00bb
The statement continued: \u00ab\u00a0Michigan State University continues to be shocked and appalled by Larry Nassar\u2019s now-admitted criminal conduct. Any suggestion that the university covered up this conduct is simply false.\u00a0\u00bb
Keiser said she and her daughter are speaking out now in order to create \u00ab\u00a0change\u00a0\u00bb and protect future athletes.
\u00ab\u00a0Sterling said something the other day,\u00a0\u00bb Keiser told ABC News. \u00ab\u00a0She said, ‘You know, if something horrible is going to happen to me, and I do nothing, I\u2019m only a victim, but if it creates change, and we can make this better, then it served a purpose.'\u00a0\u00bb
Keiser added that as a mother, it was extremely difficult for her to watch what her daughter went through.
\u00ab\u00a0I raised Sterling to be a strong, independent, smart, young woman,\u00a0\u00bb Keiser said. \u00ab\u00a0And it’s not in a strong, independent girl’s vocabulary to say that, ‘I\u2019m a victim.’
\u00ab\u00a0All of a sudden, she is put in a place of vulnerability, and she doesn\u2019t know who she is,\u00a0\u00bb she added. \u00ab\u00a0How do you all of a sudden say that you are a sex assault victim? How do you find those words?\u00a0\u00bb
Keiser said they are fighting to \u00ab\u00a0change the system so that young girls aren’t even exposed to this.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0It makes me sad that it didn\u2019t have to happen. It makes me sad that there are over 150 Sterlings,\u00a0\u00bb Keiser added. \u00ab\u00a0Who hasn\u2019t come forward? Who doesn\u2019t have the strength to come forward?\u00a0\u00bb
Lisa Lorincz, the mother of Kaylee Lorincz, who was also a former patient of Nassar’s and accused him of sexual assault in the Ingham County criminal case Nassar pleaded guilty to last month, echoed Keiser’s sentiments.
Lorincz is also suing MSU, saying she believes MSU and the USA Gymnastics organizations must have been aware of some allegations of misconduct against Nassar.
\u00ab\u00a0When you have an institution as large as they are, it’s ridiculous to think that people didn\u2019t know,\u00a0\u00bb Lorincz told ABC News.
USA Gymnastics did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment Friday, but the organization has previously said in a statement that, \u00ab\u00a0USA Gymnastics is very sorry that any athlete was harmed by Larry Nassar. Upon first learning of athlete concerns about Nassar in 2015, USA Gymnastics reported him to the FBI and relieved him of any involvement with USA Gymnastics.\u00a0\u00bb
The statement continued: \u00ab\u00a0Federal and state authorities ultimately charged Nassar with multiple crimes, leading to his incarceration and now his admission of guilt to charges of criminal sexual conduct. We note that affected women contacted by Michigan prosecutors supported resolution by plea, and USA Gymnastics also views Nassar\u2019s guilty plea as an important acknowledgment of his appalling and devious conduct that permits punishment without further victimization of survivors.\u00a0\u00bb
Shortly after Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney came forward with her allegations of assault, USA Gymnastics issued another statement saying, \u00ab\u00a0We are strengthening and enhancing our policies and procedures regarding abuse, as well as expanding our educational efforts to increase awareness of signs to watch for and reporting suspicions of abuse, including the obligation to immediately report. USA Gymnastics, its members and community are committed to working together to keep our athletes as safe as possible.\u201d
Lorincz told ABC News she is not looking for an apology from Nassar.
\u00ab\u00a0I don\u2019t want anything from him,\u00a0\u00bb she said. \u00ab\u00a0I just want to see Kaylee heal.\u00a0\u00bb
While she maintains that an apology \u00ab\u00a0wouldn’t do any good,\u00a0\u00bb Lorincz told ABC News that going forward, one thing she does hope to see is for \u00ab\u00a0things to change.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0I would also like to see anybody who knew,\u00a0\u00bb Lorincz said. \u00ab\u00a0If we\u2019re going to really make change for the future, there has be consequences for people who knew and didn\u2019t report, or worse, covered it up.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0We can’t keep putting a Band-Aid on an artery bleed, and trying to deal with it after the fact,\u00a0\u00bb she added.
Since going public with her family’s heartbreak, Lorincz said they have been exposed to what she described as \u00ab\u00a0victim blaming.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0If you could find a way to point the finger at the gymnast, or the poor parenting skills, then you can justify in your mind that this won’t happen to your child,\u00a0\u00bb she said in response.
\u00ab\u00a0I have news for everybody, that unless things change, this can happen to their child, because no one is being held accountable,\u00a0\u00bb she added. \u00ab\u00a0It\u2019s our daughters today, who would it be tomorrow?\u00a0\u00bb
ABC News’ Tara Fowler contributed to this report<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 3.3<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: -1.2<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n