Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney slams FBI during Larry Nassar hearing for allowing 'a child molester to go free'

Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney did not mince words during her striking testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, ripping into the FBI for mishandling reports of abuse at the hands of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, and thus allowing "a child molester to go free for more than a year."

"By not taking immediate action from my report, [the FBI] allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year," Maroney declared. "This inaction directly allowed Nassar's abuse to continue. What is the point of reporting abuse if our own FBI agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in a drawer?"

The focus of Wednesday's hearing was on the FBI's botched investigation into the now-convicted Nassar, who was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison following similar accounts from more than 150 women and girls, CNN reports.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"They had legal, legitimate evidence of child abuse and did nothing," Maroney continued. She said the FBI agents at fault committed an "obvious crime" and falsified her statement, "yet no recourse has been taken against them."

Maroney then went on to slam the Department of Justice for failing to punish and hold accountable the culpable agents. "I am tired of waiting for people to do the right thing. Because my abuse was enough, and we deserve justice."