Olympic gymnasts blast FBI for mishandling Larry Nassar case

Former Olympians Simone Biles and Aly Raisman were among the gymnasts to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning that the FBI should be held accountable for mishandling the investigation into former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, ESPN reported.

"It truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us," Biles said Wednesday of the way current and former FBI agents failed to respond to multiple allegations Nassar had sexually assaulted a number of gymnasts in his care. 

Nassar pleaded guilty to several charges in 2018 following sexual assault allegations from more than 150 women.

A recent report published by the Department of Justice's inspector general "found that agents mishandled evidence and later made false statements to investigators about the mistakes they made," ESPN said.

Biles and Raisman testified on Wednesday along with fellow former Olympian McKayla Maroney and former NCAA and world champion Maggie Nichols. All four gymnasts reported sexual abuse and misconduct by Nassar back in 2015, but they said the bureau took over a year to conduct a proper investigation.

"By not taking action from my report, (the FBI) allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year," Maroney said on Wednesday. "They had legal evidence of child abuse and did nothing."

FBI Director Christopher Wray also testified Wednesday. Although Wray was not the head of the bureau when the investigation was being conducted, he acknowledged the mistakes that were made.

"I'm deeply and profoundly sorry," Wray said. "I'm especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster in 2015 and failed. It never should have happened. And we're doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again."

Biles also said Wednesday that USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee need to be held more accountable than they have been through the investigation. 

"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 said.