Sharing Stories Gives Us Power To Stop Predators: Author Abigail Pesta

As a woman and a journalist, surely there must have been moments when listening to survivor testimonies and gathering information must have been overwhelming. Could you recall any such moments for us?

She and many other women told me they felt “brainwashed” as kids at this gym. They said they were berated, shoved, belittled, and blamed for their injuries—because if they got injured, it meant they weren’t concentrating. So they tried to hide their injuries. One young woman, Izzy Hutchins, told me she ended up training and competing with a broken leg and broken elbow, for fear of getting in trouble for being injured.

In the book, I detail many failures among institutions that should have protected kids, including USA Gymnastics, the governing body for the sport; the U.S. Olympic Committee; and Michigan State University, where Nassar worked. One big problem was that no one listened to the girls. Many kids didn’t know they were being abused, but some did know—and they told people in positions of authority, only to be dismissed and disbelieved.

Every single testimony moved me, in so many ways. There was one especially heartbreaking statement from a mother, Donna Markham, whose young daughter, Chelsey, had been abused by Nassar, setting her on a tragic path of depression and eventual suicide. It took such courage and strength for Donna, and for everyone, to stand up in court and confront the abuser. Kudos to Judge Rosemarie Aquilina for providing such a powerful platform in her courtroom. She made the case personal.

As survivors of systematic abuse, how did they come together to get him convicted? Did you find in your investigation, a tipping point?

SheThePeople Thank you for helping me share the wisdom of the courageous women in this book!

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