Thirteen of Larry Nassar's sexual assault victims have requested $10 million each from the FBI, after it was concluded last year that the bureau botched its investigation into the sports doctor, The Associated Press reports.
Lawyers for the victims claimed Thursday that the FBI's failures in the investigation led to more abuse, per AP.
In 2021, the Department of Justice's inspector general found that "the FBI made fundamental errors when it became aware of allegations against Nassar" years ago, AP writes.
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The names of the victims filing the claims were not revealed, per Axios.
"We spend so much energy and resources encouraging children to come forward when they have been abused," said attorney Jamie White. "So the fact that people came forward to the most powerful law enforcement agency in the world and were rebuffed — it's a slap in the face."
"No one should have been assaulted after the summer of 2015 because the FBI should have done its job," added Grace French, founder of an organization known as The Army of Survivors. "To know that the FBI could have helped to avoid this trauma disgusts me."
Nassar was previously a Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics sports doctor. He was sentenced to "decades in prison for assaulting female athletes, including medal-winning Olympic gymnasts," after being arrested in 2016, AP reports.
Previously, FBI Director Christopher Wray said he is "deeply and profoundly sorry" for how the bureau handled its investigation.
