Raisman took to Instagram to share how she's doing after she and other U.S. gymnasts testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Aly Raisman is opening up about how she's doing after the emotional testimony she gave before senators last week about the sexual abuse she and other U.S. gymnasts suffered by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. Raisman took to Instagram to share that she's been trying to "recover and process" from testifying publicly.
"I’ve been trying to process and recover from testifying. Today has been the most difficult for me. I’m trying to take it one breath & moment at a time but it is hard. Sending love to all the survivors out there who are struggling today. I’m with you 💔❤️," she captioned a photo of her from the Sept. 15 testimony.
Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and Maggie Nichols appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of a two-part hearing on the FBI's mishandling of the investigation into Nassar where they argued the failure of institutions like the FBI to immediately investigate allegations of abuse, allowing his misconduct to continue unanswered while the number of his victims grew.
In her testimony, Raisman recalled her experiences with the FBI, telling senators she made "many requests" to speak with the bureau about Nassar's misconduct, but said it took 14 months for the bureau to contact her. "It has become painfully clear how a survivor's healing is affected by the handling of their abuse and it disgusts me that we are still fighting for the most basic answers and accountability over six years later," she told the committee, taking a deep breath before making her opening remarks.
Raisman said that in 2015, officials knew that at least six gymnasts had been abused by Nassar, but he was allowed to continue working at Michigan State University and Twistars USA Gymnastics Club.
"It was like serving innocent children up to a pedophile on a silver platter," she said.
In an interview with Today following the Senate hearing, Raisman told Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie about an FBI agent who she felt trivialized her past.
"The agent just kept diminishing my abuse and telling me that he didn't feel like it was that big of a deal and maybe I should drop the case," Raisman alleged.
"My question to [senators] is if they can help us and if they can get those investigations rolling for us because we've been asking for them for years," she told Today. "Why did this person get to retire? What did they do that the FBI felt was not okay that they had to let them go? Why did they get to slip out the back door like so many others have?"
The Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on the FBI's mishandling of the Nassar investigation came after the Justice Department's inspector general concluded earlier this year that FBI employees botched the investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of gymnasts by Nassar in 2015 and 2016.
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