Larry Nassar, the disgraced sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing Olympic and college female gymnasts, sustained multiple stab wounds from another inmate at a federal prison in Florida.
The incident took place on Sunday at the United States Penitentiary Coleman, a facility currently experiencing staffing shortages.
According to two individuals familiar with the matter, Nassar's condition was stable as of Monday.
One source revealed that Nassar had been stabbed in the back and chest. Additionally, it was mentioned that the two officers responsible for guarding the unit where Nassar was held were working overtime shifts due to the understaffing issue.
The individuals who provided information to the Associated Press did so on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to publicly disclose details about the attack or the ongoing investigation.
Larry Nassar is currently serving multiple decades in prison following convictions in state and federal courts. He confessed to sexually assaulting athletes during his tenure at Michigan State University and with USA Gymnastics, an Indianapolis-based organization that trains Olympic athletes.
In a separate case, Nassar also pleaded guilty to charges related to the possession of child sexual abuse images.
The federal Bureau of Prisons has faced significant staffing shortages in recent years, which gained attention in 2019 when convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail in New York.
An investigation by the Associated Press in 2021 revealed that nearly one-third of federal correctional officer positions nationwide were vacant, resulting in the need to assign non-security personnel such as cooks, teachers, and nurses to guard inmates.
These staffing shortages have hindered the response to emergencies in various prisons, including instances of suicide.
Previous investigations conducted by the Associated Press have brought to light instances of sexual abuse, criminal behavior, and other issues within the Bureau of Prisons.
As the largest agency under the purview of the Justice Department, the Bureau of Prisons employs over 30,000 individuals, manages approximately 158,000 inmates, and operates with an annual budget of around $8 billion.
These investigations have shed light on concerning matters within the organization, AP News reported.
Another victim, Sarah Klein, said the stabbing forces her and others to relive their abuse and trauma "at the hands of Nassar and the institutions, including law enforcement, that protected him and allowed him to prey on children."
"I want him to face the severe prison sentence he received because of the voices of survivors. I absolutely do not support violence because it's morally wrong and death would be an easy out for Nassar," Klein said in an emailed statement.
During the 2018 sentencing of Larry Nassar, over 150 women and girls came forward to testify against him. Nassar had molested these athletes under the pretense of providing medical treatment.
Disturbingly, some of the survivors revealed that they had disclosed the abuse to adults, including coaches and athletic trainers, throughout the span of more than two decades. However, their reports were ignored or went unreported, allowing Nassar's abuse to persist.
A group of over 100 women, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, is collectively seeking more than $1 billion in damages from the federal government due to the FBI's failure to intervene and stop Larry Nassar after agents became aware of the allegations against him in 2015.
Despite being made aware of the allegations, Nassar was only arrested by Michigan State University police in 2016, over a year later.
In July 2021, the Justice Department's inspector general reported that the FBI had made significant errors in investigating the sexual abuse allegations against Nassar and did not handle the case with the necessary seriousness.
Many athletes disclosed that they were subjected to abuse prior to the FBI taking action.
USA Gymnastics had conducted its own internal investigation, and then-president Stephen Penny reported the allegations to the FBI's field office in Indianapolis. However, it took several months for the bureau to initiate a formal investigation.
The state Supreme Court acknowledged that Larry Nassar's appeal raised significant doubts and expressed concerns regarding the conduct of the judge involved.
However, the court also recognized that Judge Aquilina, despite making provocative comments, adhered to the sentencing agreement that had been negotiated by the lawyers involved in the case.
While the court considered the appeal to be a contentious issue, it ultimately acknowledged that the sentencing agreement was followed by Judge Aquilina.
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