L. Nassar was sentenced to 175 years in prison for sexual assault. More than 100 young girls and women filed accusations against the doctor who worked for the gymnastics team for four Olympic cycles.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been criticized for its lax initial investigation into the Nassar case, the Justice Department said in a statement.
“These allegations should have been taken seriously from the beginning,” said Deputy US Attorney General Benjamin Mizer.
“While these settlements will not undo the harm Nassar has done, we hope they will help provide the victims of his crimes with some of the critical support they need as they continue to recover.”
US Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney were among the victims who publicly criticized the FBI’s handling of the investigation.
The settlement resolves 139 separate lawsuits, according to the department. The women accused the FBI of failing to act under a 2015 evidence and allowing Nassar to continue sexually abusing young women and girls until 2016. new charges were brought against him.
“We are proud to have reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice that not only provides the victims with the recovery they deserve, but also holds the Justice Department and the FBI accountable for their mistakes,” four lawyers representing the 77 victims said in a statement.
in 2021 A report by the Justice Department’s Internal Oversight Office revealed that the FBI made a number of mistakes, including failing to quickly interview potential victims and document the interviews.
