Nassar Judge Warns Global Gymnastics Still Fails Athletes a Decade After Abuse Scandal
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina warns gymnastics still fails athletes nearly a decade after the Larry Nassar scandal, calling institutional reforms mere window dres...
POLICY WIRE — Manchester, England — Ten years after the devastating Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal rocked the sports world, the judge who delivered his historic sentence warns that gymnastics continues to fail competitors in almost every way.
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina shared her candid assessment during an interview in Manchester, England, noting that policy updates implemented by international governing bodies largely amount to superficial window dressing rather than genuine protection.
Aquilina presided over the landmark case that sent former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar to prison for up to 175 years after more than 150 women came forward to detail his horrific crimes.
A decade after those abuses first came to light, survivors and dedicated advocates converged at the World Gymnastics Championships to demand that institutional safety measures finally become an absolute priority.
Speaking at a public forum hosted by the athlete advocacy organization Gymnasts for Change, the Michigan Circuit Court jurist cautioned that the global gymnastics hierarchy persists in letting down young competitors despite years of pledged systemic overhauls.
These ongoing concerns were further underscored when gymnast Finley Weldon publicly stepped forward with allegations that a former coach sexually abused her during her active training years.
Weldon’s distressing disclosure has triggered intense public scrutiny, raising urgent questions over whether USA Gymnastics has truly delivered on the sweeping reform promises made in the direct aftermath of the Nassar crisis.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
