Ex-US gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar reportedly stabbed in prison
Larry Nassar, the former sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing female gymnasts, was stabbed multiple times in a Florida federal prison, The Associated Press reported Monday.
The incident reportedly occurred Sunday at United States Penitentiary Coleman, where Nassar has been incarcerated since 2018. Sources said Nassar was stabbed during an altercation with another inmate, and was reportedly in stable condition after receiving medical attention.
Nassar "has a collapsed lung" and "was stabbed twice in the neck, six times in the chest, and twice in the back," Joe Rojas, a prison union leader for USP Coleman, told The Daily Beast. Rojas added that Nassar "is lucky to be alive and the only reason he is alive, in my opinion, is because of the staff members who were there." Prison officials were surprised by the incident because Nassar "kept to himself" and rarely had issues with other inmates, Rojas said.
Nassar is serving decades in prison after convictions in both federal and state court on charges related to sexually assaulting numerous female gymnasts over many years. Following a law enforcement investigation, Nassar admitted to abusing gymnasts while working as a doctor for both Team USA and Michigan State University. He also pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in a separate charge.
The Indianapolis Star first reported in 2016 that multiple gymnasts had accused Nassar of sexual assault. In the following two years, many prominent gymnasts, including Olympians McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Simone Biles, also accused Nassar of assault. In 2021, more than 500 survivors of Nassar reached a $380 million settlement.
A separate investigation by the Star alleged that USA Gymnastics officials "failed to alert authorities to many allegations of sexual abuse by coaches." A Justice Department report found that when the FBI was finally tipped off about Nassar in 2015, they failed to act properly.
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