US Department of Justice will not file charges against former FBI agents in Larry Nassar abuse case

MADRID, 27 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The United States Department of Justice will not file criminal charges for alleged irregularities against two former Federal Police (FBI) agents who were in charge of investigating the case of sexual abuse around sports doctor Larry Nassar.

The FBI and the Justice Department faced intense criticism for brushing aside sexual abuse allegations that several members of the Olympic gymnastics team leveled against Nassar, who was convicted in 2017 of multiple sex crimes.

In July 2021, the Department stressed that the FBI failed to respond to Nassar's allegations with the seriousness and urgency required, made numerous fundamental mistakes, and violated multiple FBI policies.

Four US gymnastics stars, including Olympic medalist Simone Biles, accused the Senate Judiciary Committee of the FBI for allowing "a child molester to go free for more than a year."

"I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that allowed and perpetuated his abuse ... If a predator is allowed to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough," Biles said, who was accompanied by fellow gymnasts, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisma.

"Not only did the FBI fail to report my abuse, but when they finally documented it 17 months later, they made completely false claims about what I said. They chose lying and protecting a serial abuser over protecting not just me, but other children." ", said, for his part, Maroney.

"The Justice Department refused to prosecute these people. Why? It's their job to hold them accountable. I'm tired of waiting for people to do the right thing, because they abused us and we deserve justice," the athlete claimed at the time. .

The scandal broke out in 2015 after an investigation by the newspaper 'The Indianapolis Star' and two years later he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for crimes of assault, sexual assault, child pornography, and tampering with evidence, among others.

Now, the Department has affirmed that there is not enough information to present the case through criminal channels, despite the recommendation of the prosecutors and the findings that the FBI agents gave inaccurate information, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

"This does not in any way reflect the opinion that the Nassar investigation was handled as it should have been, nor does it reflect approval or contempt for the conduct of the former agents," the Justice Department said in a statement, according to the aforementioned agency.

Larry Nassar, who for decades abused hundreds of girls and women --more than 250-- taking advantage of his work, was sentenced to between 40 and 125 years in prison for the crimes committed on three of the victims, which It is added to the other two sentences already handed down.

Initially, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for possession of child pornography and received a sentence of between 40 and 175 years for abusing seven young people. Eaton County, Michigan, hosted a third trial in which he was convicted of the abuse of three more victims.