Jordyn Wieber at sentencing: 'Nobody was protecting us' from Larry Nassar

Show Caption Hide Caption Olympian Jordyn Wieber describes Nassar abuse Another Olympic gold medalist, Jordyn Wieber, has come forward to say that she too was sexually assaulted by former sports doctor Larry Nassar. "I was not protected and neither were my teammates," she said. (Jan. 19)

LANSING - Jordyn Wieber, a DeWitt native and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, made a victim impact statement at Larry Nassar's sentencing hearing Friday.

"I thought that training for the Olympics would be hardest thing I would ever have to do. But the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do is process that I am a victim of Larry Nassar." she said.

It is the first time she has spoken publicly about Nassar since the sex abuse scandal became public in 2016.

Wieber is the fourth member of the Fierce Five – the nickname given to the 2012 U.S. women’s gymnastics team – to say Nassar sexually abused her, joining Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman.

More: Full statement from Olympian Jordyn Wieber at Nassar sentencing

Live from court: Day 4 of Larry Nassar's sentencing hearing

Jordyn Wieber: "I thought that training for the Olympics would be hardest thing I would ever have to do. But the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do is process that I am a victim of Larry Nassar." https://t.co/8F3O3VHyfJ — Matt Mencarini (@MattMencarini) January 19, 2018

Wieber said she began seeing Nassar at age 8, but first had the of the type of treatment that later became subject of criminal investigations after a hamstring injury when she was 14.

“He did it time after time, appointment after appointment,” Wieber said. “…I had no idea that he was sexually abusing me for his benefit.”

Wieber held back tears as she described the discomfort she and her teammates, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, shared regarding their treatments. She said she accepted the need for treatments in order to keep competing.

She said when the Olympic team’s bodies “were all hanging by a thread” in London, officials sent Nassar to help, “the doctor who was an abuser.”

“Nobody was protecting us from being taken advantage of,” Wieber said. “Nobody was even concerned about whether or not we were being abused.”

Wieber called out the failings of USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee and Michigan State University while speaking about her experience.

"I am angry with myself for not recognizing the abuse, and that's something I'm struggling with today," Wieber said.

"To this day, I don't know how he could have been allowed to do this for so long."

She said her story and the stories of the other more than 100 women are important.

“Even though I’m a victim, I do not and will not live my life as one,” Wieber said. “I am an Olympian.”

Wieber's mother, Rita Wieber, told the Lansing State Journal this afternoon she's hopeful that her daughter's statement will inspire other women and young girls to report abuse of any form.

Rita Wieber declined to say if she knew in advance that her daughter would make a statement about Nassar in court or whether her daughter will pursue any legal action.

“I think people need to understand how extremely difficult it is for these survivors to speak up about something so intimate and personal," Rita Wieber said.

Rita Wieber and Dave Wieber, her husband, still live in DeWitt. She doesn't want to dissuade parents in the Lansing region or elsewhere from letting their children participate in gymnastics.

But Rita Wieber encourages parents to do plenty of research and shed light on anything they believe is inappropriate.

"I think all parents need to pay close attention to every aspect of their child’s life, whether it’s schools, sports, anything," Rita Wieber said. "And if they feel that anything is not right, they need to speak up without fear of negative implications.”

Raisman accompanied Wieber to Judge Rosemarie Aquilina’s courtroom and made a statement later in the morning.

Friday is the fourth day of Nassar’s sentencing hearing. He pleaded guilty in November to seven first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges here in Ingham County. On Jan. 31, he’ll be sentenced on three of the same charges in Eaton County, where he also pleaded guilty in November. The plea deals mirrored each other and set the range for the low end of Nassar sentence between 25 and 40 years in prison, with the maximum sentence being up to life. The plea deal included a provision that more than 100 women and girls be given the chance to give an impact statement, if they wanted to do so.

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has asked for Nassar to be sentenced to 40 to 125 years in prison, the high end representing a year for every woman and girl who reported to police that Nassar abused them. Those 125 women and girls include gymnasts, former gymnasts, former Michigan State University athletes, former patients of Nassar’s and a woman he sexually abused in his home when she was a child.

Nassar worked for MSU and with USA Gymnastics for decades.

More: Olympic medalists call Larry Nassar a 'monster' at sentencing hearing

Friday had been scheduled to be the conclusion to a four-day sentencing hearing, which last week was expected to include victim-impact statements from 88 women and girls. That number increased each day of the hearing, reaching 105 by Thursday morning.

Nassar is now expected to be sentenced on Monday or Tuesday.

In December, a federal judge sentenced Nassar to 60 years in prison on three child pornography charges. He must serve the entirety of his federal sentence before serving any time on the state charges.

Check back for updates.

Eric Lacy contributed to this report. Contact Matt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Contact Reporter Beth LeBlanc at 517-377-1167 or eleblanc@gannett.com.