U.S. groups investigated on handling of sex-abuse claims - report

[rooster59]

U.S. groups investigated on handling of sex-abuse claims - report

 

FILE PHOTO: William Strampel, a former Dean at Michigan State University and former supervisor of convicted USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, is arraigned by video in 54B District Court in East Lansing, Michigan, U.S., March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

 

(Reuters) - The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said on Friday it was cooperating with government inquires after it was reported U.S. agencies were conducting a widespread investigation into U.S. Olympic sport organizations.

 

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the investigations, reported U.S. Justice Department is pursuing multiple wide-criminal investigations into sexual abuse in U.S. Olympic sports organizations and into potential financial and business misconduct throughout the U.S. Olympic system.

 

The inquiries follow in the wake of the sexual-abuse case against former national gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar and include not only the USOPC but USA Gymnastics, USA Taekwondo and other organizations, the Journal said.

 

Nassar, 55, was given an effective life sentence by a Michigan court for sexually abusing young female gymnasts entrusted to his care. He is also serving a 60-year sentence for a federal child pornography conviction.

 

The USOPC declined, in a late afternoon teleconference, to comment on the report beyond reading a prepared statement.

 

"Every instance related to potential or actual abuse of athletes warrants thorough investigation," spokesman Mark Jones said. "We have cooperated with all government inquiries and will continue to do so."

 

Jones added if there were inquiries on the call, "you will receive the same answer."

 

The Journal reported that federal prosecutors have spoken with potential witnesses about alleged abuse and misconduct in Olympic sports organizations, including USA Gymnastics and USA Taekwondo.

 

One focus of the investigation appeared to be on failures in the Olympic system to respond to signs of widespread child abuse, the newspaper said.

 

It said prosecutors have already spoken with some witnesses and have received documents from SafeSport in response to a grand jury subpoena.

 

The U.S. Center for SafeSport is the organization formed in 2017 to handle sex-abuse cases in the Olympic world.

 

The newspaper also reported that USA Gymnastics said in bankruptcy filings that it has been responding to Justice Department subpoenas as recently as April.

 

In response to the report, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., issued a joint statement.

 

"The U.S. Olympic Committee and its affiliated national governing bodies enabled Larry Nassar by turning a blind eye to criminal conduct and then trying to sweep it under the rug.

 

"Everyone who allowed abuse to continue must be held responsible for any and all violations of the law."

 

USA Gymnastics said it "is striving to become an athlete-centric organization that keeps athlete safety and well-being at the forefront of everything it does."

 

It added USA Gymnastics has cooperated fully with any governmental investigation and will continue to do so in the future."

 

In a separate statement, USA Taekwondo said: "While we are limited in what we can say while legal proceedings move forward, we want to state clearly that above all else, our top priority at USA Taekwondo is the safety of our athletes."

 

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-14

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[spidermike007]

Anything that can be done to get rid of the systemic toxicity this organization manifested, for decades, is a good thing. Surely, there must be dozens of people who were aware of what Nassar was doing, yet they looked the other way. That is not acceptable. It is one thing to sexually harass women. That is not right. But to do this to kids, and allow it to happen to kids, after they were made aware of what was going on? That is beyond the pale. Executions needs to be carried out. Forget about prison sentences. Some lines you just cannot cross. Those kids are scarred for life. 

[Benmart]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Anything that can be done to get rid of the systemic toxicity this organization manifested, for decades, is a good thing. Surely, there must be dozens of people who were aware of what Nassar was doing, yet they looked the other way. That is not acceptable. It is one thing to sexually harass women. That is not right. But to do this to kids, and allow it to happen to kids, after they were made aware of what was going on? That is beyond the pale. Executions needs to be carried out. Forget about prison sentences. Some lines you just cannot cross. Those kids are scarred for life. 

Crimes against children are certainly in a category that warrants enhancements to punishments metted out after a trial; presided by a lawfully appointed judge and/or before a jury a prescribed by statute.

 

The advocating of capital punishment for such crimes, while emotionally appealing to some, is a line I avoid crossing. I prefer to leave that decision to the people of the jurisdiction in which the crime occurred.

[ThaiFelix]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Anything that can be done to get rid of the systemic toxicity this organization manifested, for decades, is a good thing. Surely, there must be dozens of people who were aware of what Nassar was doing, yet they looked the other way. That is not acceptable. It is one thing to sexually harass women. That is not right. But to do this to kids, and allow it to happen to kids, after they were made aware of what was going on? That is beyond the pale. Executions needs to be carried out. Forget about prison sentences. Some lines you just cannot cross. Those kids are scarred for life. 

You could apply exactly the same argument to the catholic church.

[Dumbastheycome]

4 hours ago, Benmart said:

Crimes against children are certainly in a category that warrants enhancements to punishments metted out after a trial; presided by a lawfully appointed judge and/or before a jury a prescribed by statute.

 

The advocating of capital punishment for such crimes, while emotionally appealing to some, is a line I avoid crossing. I prefer to leave that decision to the people of the jurisdiction in which the crime occurred.

It is so easy, or not, to defer the  responsibility  of  appointed jurisdiction who by virtue of that position are also  indifferent to the reality of the plight of the  vulnerable as well as being  as much  concerned  with the preservation of those  virtues of position and open to coercion because of it?

Life is considered  cheap enough  to the powerful but is it reasonable to defer dismissed accountability to those who are supposedly acting in good  faith on the part of  any  society?

It is this attitude that I consider that basic failure  of  global issues.

Is anybody able to estimate the destruction and  casual premature death of individuals  who could have  had potential to enhance humanity? Or are we so apathetically  resigned  to the submission to apathy???