Change.org Petition: Holding The FBI Accountable - Sexual Abuse in Gymnastics

In 2018, Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics doctor, was convicted for abusing more than 150 women and girls. Last year, the FBI was found to have mishandled their investigation into the case. This allowed Nassar to fly under the radar for 17 months. Now, more than 90 women, including Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney, want justice. Stephanie started her petition because she knows the FBI clearly mismanaged this case. She wants you to join her in demanding justice for these athletes who were betrayed by the system put in place to protect them. Holding The FBI Accountable: Sexual Abuse in Gymnastics 2,759 have signed Stephanie Aucello’s petition. Let’s get to 5,000!

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"They had legal, legitimate evidence of child abuse and did nothing. If they’re not going to protect me, I want to know who are they trying to protect?" -McKayla Maroney In July of 2015, sexual assault allegations against Dr. Larry Nassar were brought forward to the FBI. Though the FBI’s mission is to "uphold the Constitution and protect the American people... they failed to do so. Though three gymnasts came forward to the FBI, only one, Mckayla Maroney, was interviewed... with her conversation not being properly documented for 17 months. Dr. Larry Nassar sexually abused underaged athletes as both the USA Gymnastics Team Doctor, and the Michigan State University Doctor. His sexual abuse was under the guise of necessary medical treatments.  The FBI knew about allegations of sexual abuse against Larry Nassar. The FBI did not refer allegations to local and state authorities though they are required to do so. An internal investigation found that "fundamental errors" were made. These fundamental errors resulted in approximately 70 or more athletes being abused by Larry Nassar. Nassar was pursued by the FBI in the fall of 2016, over one year after they were informed of these allegations. The fundamental errors also included the failure to properly document complaints, mishandling of evidence, and false statements regarding the case. Two (now-retired) FBI agents made these false statements under oath. A report regarding the FBI’s handling of the case cites that the officials did not respond with the "seriousness and urgency" that a case like this requires. The negligence of the FBI resulted in a continuation of Nassar’s crimes.  Whilst agent Michael Langeman, a supervisory special agent in the FBI, was fired for his wrongdoings, this is not enough. The victims of Larry Nassar not only deserve justice, but the American people deserve to know that those committed to our safety will actually uphold their duty and commitment. FBI Agents like Michael Langeman should be investigated and held accountable. The FBI as a whole, as well as specific agents, failed these young girls. These agents should be held accountable for their actions. Sexual abuse shouldn’t happen as it is: no one should be scared to come forward because they don’t know if their case will be taken seriously.  “How much is a little girl worth?” - Simone Biles Sources: https://nypost.com/2021/09/15/fbi-agent-fired-for-improperly-investigating-larry-nassar/https://www.the-sun.com/news/2409214/what-did-larry-nassar-do-simone-biles-abuse/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-fires-agent-larry-nassar-usa-gymnastics-doctor/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/17/the-fbis-handling-of-larry-nassars-sex-abuse-is-awful-but-sadly-unsurprisinghttps://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31817658/fbi-seriously-mishandled-larry-nassar-case-according-justice-dept-watchdoghttps://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/larry-nassar-senate-hearing-09-15-21/h_04d3f13134c01713c4801b82e6d46696https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/larry-nassar-senate-hearing-09-15-21/h_05a9c9c439dc9143b1f6a16aba6d154fhttps://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/larry-nassar-senate-hearing-09-15-21/index.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/fbi-agent-nassar-investigation/2021/09/14/f4fed85a-158a-11ec-9589-31ac3173c2e5_story.html

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