Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, and U.S. Gymnasts Give Damning Testimony On Sexual Abuse

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Simone Biles gave a powerful and emotional testimony Wednesday in Washington, D.C., where she told the Senate Judiciary Committee how the Federal Bureau of Investigation, USA Gymnastics, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee failed to end the abuse that she and others experienced at the hands of the disgraced Larry Nassar, the former Team USA doctor.

Biles, who was joined Wednesday by former Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols, told the Senate panel that "USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee knew that I was abused by their official team doctor long before I was ever made aware of their knowledge," according to USA Today.

The 24-year-old gymnast added, according to USA Today, that she and her fellow athletes "suffered and continue to suffer, because no one at the FBI, USAG, or the failed USOPC did what was necessary to protect us."

Maroney, an Olympic gold medalist, also stated during Wednesday's testimony that the FBI "made entirely false claims" about what she had relayed to them. "After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said," said Maroney, according to USA Today, adding, "What is the point of reporting abuse, if our own FBI agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in the drawer."

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Nassar pleaded guilty in 2017 to abusing 10 of the more than 265 accusers who came forward, according to NBC News. Nassar is currently serving up to 175 years in prison.

Wednesday's testimony comes months after the release of the Department of Justice inspector general report that detailed the FBI's mishandling of the Nassar case.

In an interview with the Today Show on Thursday, Raisman recalled how an FBI agent "kept diminishing [her] abuse" and told her "that he didn't feel like it was that big of a deal and maybe I should drop the case."

Chris Gray, the director of the FBI, apologized to Biles, Raisman, Maroney, and Nichols on Wednesday. "I'm deeply and profoundly sorry to each and every one of you. I'm sorry for what you and your families have been through. I'm sorry, that so many different people, let you down over and over again," said Wray, according to USA Today. "And I'm especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015, and failed."

Biles added Wednesday during her testimony that she doesn't want "another young gymnast, Olympic athlete or any individual to experience the horror that [she] and hundreds of others have endured before, during and continuing to this day in the wake of the Larry Nassar abuse."

Michael Langeman, an FBI agent accused of failing to launch a proper investigation into Nassar, has since by fired by the bureau. Langeman is said to have lost his job last week, reported The Washington Post on Wednesday.