Larry Nassar, the disgraced sports physician who is currently serving a sentence of up to 175 years for sexually abusing hundreds of young girls, including gymnasts on the U.S. Olympic team, was stabbed multiple times during a fight with another inmate at a federal prison in Florida.
The attack took place on Sunday at the United States Penitentiary Coleman, according to the Associated Press.
Nassar, who was stabbed in the neck, back, and chest, is reportedly in stable condition.
The prison was experiencing staffing shortages, and one of the people familiar with the matter said the officers assigned to the unit where Nassar was held were working mandated overtime shifts.
The people were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the attack or the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
Nassar is serving decades in prison for convictions in state and federal courts. He admitted sexually assaulting athletes when he worked at Michigan State University and at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. Separately, Nassar pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. (AP)
Rachel Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Nassar of sexual abuse, spoke out after reports surfaced of the attack.
For ALL our sakes, we desperately wish he had chosen differently.
— Rachael Denhollander (@R_Denhollander) July 10, 2023
The farthest we can run from what Larry became, is to love. That isn't at odds with justice, but it means we aren't finding entertainment value in destruction either.
No one's life is a gif for us to mock, even when we are standing against the evil that person has done. It's not the same as justice.
— Rachael Denhollander (@R_Denhollander) July 10, 2023
All of us would appreciate it if you'd lay off the memes, gifs and jokes. This isn't a joke to any of us.
Sarah Klein, the first known Nassar victim, urged prison staff to better protect him so he is forced to "face the severe prison sentence he received."
“This assault on Nassar brings no peace to me personally or to the survivors I’ve spoken with today,” said Klein, who is currently an attorney that represents sexual abuse victims, according to the New York Post.
“The incident forces us to vividly relive our abuse and trauma at the hands of Nassar and the institutions, including law enforcement, that protected him and allowed him to prey on children.
“I urge the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to see that Nassar is not allowed to escape his sentence and consequences of his horrible crimes.”