Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar has been stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate at the US Penitentiary Coleman in Florida Monday (July 10).
Nassar was imprisoned after he was convicted of sexually abusing female gymnasts, including Olympic medalists.
Two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press (AP) on the condition their identity would be undisclosed that the attack happened Sunday (July 9). One of the people said Nassar had been stabbed in the back and in the chest and was not prevented due to the prison experiencing staffing shortages. The other person added the officers assigned to the unit where Nassar was held were working mandated overtime shifts.
Nassar was taken for medical treatment and is now in stable condition, the sources said. No one else was injured, according to several reports.
Investigations regarding the stabbing continue as of press time.
Jailer Shortages
The US Bureau of Prisons has experienced a significant shortage of staff in the past few years, which was brought to light when disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein allegedly committed suicide at a New York federal jail in 2019 and Ted "Unabomber" Kaczynski was found dead, also in an alleged suicide, in June in his prison cell at FMC Bunter in North Carolina.
A 2021 AP investigation revealed nearly a third of federal correctional officer positions were vacant nationwide, forcing prisons to use cooks, teachers, nurses, and other workers to guard inmates. Staffing shortages have also hampered the response to emergencies at other prisons, including suicides.
Dirty Doctor
Nassar received his notoriety after he admitted to sexually assaulting more than 300 athletes when he worked at Michigan State University and at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. He separately pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
During victim impact statements in 2018, several athletes testified that they have told adults, including coaches and athletic trainers, what was happening with their interactions with Nassar for more than two decades of his career but went unreported.
More than 100 women, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, collectively sought more than $1 billion from the federal government for the FBI's failure to stop Nassar when agents became aware of allegations against him in 2015. USA Gymnastics became the first entity to investigate the allegations months before the FBI did.
He was only arrested by Michigan State University police in 2016.
In a July 2021 hearing, the Justice Department's inspector general said the agency made "fundamental" errors in investigating the sexual abuse allegations against Nassar and did not treat the case with the "utmost seriousness," allowing Nassar to molest more athletes before he got arrested.
The FBI eventually acknowledged conduct that was "inexcusable and a discredit" to America's premier law enforcement agency.
The Michigan Supreme Court rejected Nassar's final appeal in June 2022 and was sentenced to a total of up to 175 years in prison.
None of the women I've spoken with are rejoicing today. We're grieving the destruction across so much.
— Rachael Denhollander (@R_Denhollander) July 10, 2023
We're grieving the reality that protecting others from him came with the near-certainty we would wake up to this someday.
In the wake of the stabbing, former gymnast Rachael Denhollander reacted on Twitter, insisting none of the women she spoke with were "rejoicing," ESPN reported.
"We're grieving the destruction across so much," she added. "We're grieving the reality that protecting others from him came with the near-certainty we would wake up to this someday."
Related Article: USA Gymnastics Sex Abuse Scandal: Larry Nassar Verdict, New FBI Lawsuit, and Everything You Need To Know
