Olympic medalist Simone Biles was among multiple gymnasts who told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the FBI mishandled its investigation into former Team USA doctor and convicted sex offender Larry Nassar.
Federal agents were accused of failing to respond urgently after the bureau was alerted about Nassar's abuse in 2015. In a report by the Department of Justice, FBI agents reportedly mishandled evidence and lied to investigators about their mistakes.
Simone Biles criticized the FBI, along with multiple senators, former Olympic gold medalists McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman, and former world and NCAA champion Maggie Nichols, who was Nassar's first accuser. Senators questioned why the FBI was not prosecuted by the Department of Justice considering the report's findings. Biles also placed blame on USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee for not taking action after they were made aware of Nassar's actions.
"I believe without a doubt that the circumstances that led to my abuse and allowed it to continue are directly the result of the fact that the organizations created by Congress to oversee and protect me as an athlete -- USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee -- failed to do their jobs," Biles said before adding, "This is the largest case of sexual abuse in the history of American sport, and although there has been an independent investigation of the FBI's handling of the case, neither USAG nor the USOPC have ever been made the subject of the same level of scrutiny."
Biles emotionally discussed the sexual abuse she endured from Larry Nassar during her testimony. She stated that her experiences with Nassar impacted her during the recent Olympics.
"I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. 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," she said.
"I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse," she said. "If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough."
Larry Nassar is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence for child pornography charges. He also pleaded guilty in 2018 to almost a dozen counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, which added as long as 175 years to his prison sentence.
Look above to view Simone Biles' full testimony.
