Skip to main content

Judge Tells Larry Nassar 'I Just Signed Your Death Warrant'

Sentencing of the ex-USA Gymnastics doctor is a model for justice in sexual assault cases

Jody Allard
 | 

Published on: January 24, 2018

judge-aquilina

Editor's note: ParentMap publishes articles, op-eds and essays by people of all experiences and from all walks of life. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own and are not endorsed by ParentMap.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina pulled no punches as she sentenced ex-USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison Wednesday: "I just signed your death warrant."

Nassar was accused of sexually assaulting more than 140 girls and young women in his care. Many of Nassar's victims were gymnasts, and some were as young as 6 years old. Nassar admitted to sexually assaulting seven people.

Among the women who have come forward about sexual assault by Nassar are Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman and Mckayla Maroney. After it became public that much of the abuse took place at the famed Karolyi Ranch, USA Gymnastics announced it was severing ties with the ranch last week.

But with abuse that began in the 1990s and continued through 2016, it's clear that USA Gymnastics has only begun to address the decades of abuse that flourished in its programs. 

Judge Aquilina can't change that: It's up to USA Gymnastics to do that. But her verdict today, issued strongly and from a place of female empowerment, tackled another flawed system: the judiciary. When other sexual perpetrators are best remembered for their light sentences or victim-blaming — such as ex-Stanford student Brock Turner who was sentenced to only six months for sexual assault last year — Judge Aquilina's strong verdict is a beacon of hope for young women who are grappling with their own sexual assaults.

During the sentencing, Judge Aquilina read aloud from a letter submitted by Nassar on his behalf. 

“‘I was a good doctor,’” Nassar wrote. “‘Those patients that are now speaking out, are the same ones that praised [me] and came back over and over. . . The media convinced them everything was wrong. They feel I broke their trust. Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn.’”

There was an audible gasp in the court room as Judge Aquilina finished reading the passage, and GIFs of her subsequent tossing aside of his letter were making the rounds on Twitter in minutes.

 

As important as the sentence itself is to survivors, Judge Aquilina's gentleness and personal responses to each of the victims as they read aloud statements about their abuse is a model for what the judiciary can be. All too often, we are cautioned about the importance of due process for abusers while the rights of victims to due process are ignored. Judge Aquilina paved the way for fair, objective sentencing that treats victims with the respect they deserve.

JOIN THE PARENTMAP COMMUNITY
Get our weekly roundup of Seattle-area outings and parenting tips straight to your inbox.

Share this resource with your friends!