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Report: DOJ launching multiple sex abuse investigations within Olympic organizations

Report: DOJ launching multiple investigations of sex abuse within Olympic organizations

Stephanie Zepelin | News 8 at 5

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Years after the first red flag was raised about abuse inside Olympic gymnastics, the Wall Street Journal is reporting the U.S. Department of Justice is taking action. The report says the D.O.J. is mounting multiple investigations across the organization.

Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, spoke with News 8 exclusively this week. She told us she believes there needs to be investigations into local and federal authorities. That is finally happening, three years after she first spoke out.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday the Department of Justice is investigating sex abuse and potential financial and business wrongdoing in the US Olympic sports groups. Their report also says investigators are focused on former USA Gymnastics officials. They are also looking into how the FBI handled reports of Nassar’s abuse—something Denhollander specifically called for.

“The FBI sat on reports of sexual abuse against Nassar for 16 months and when I came forward they said, ‘oh wait we’ve been doing something,’ but the paper trail doesn’t line up,” Denhollander told News 8. “The FBI didn’t investigate Larry. What the FBI did was let him continue sexually assaulting children for 16 months and I want to know why.”

News 8 reached out to the Department of Justice for confirmation of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting but they would not comment.