Inspector general: FBI mishandled Nassar investigation

When USA Gymnastics officials reported sexual abuse allegations against national team doctor Larry Nassar to the FBI in 2015, the Indianapolis field office failed to properly document the complaints and mishandled evidence, according to a Justice Department investigation released on Wednesday. The report criticized the field office head and a supervisory special agent for not treating the case seriously and violating bureau policies. The FBI released a statement on Wednesday apologizing for inexcusable conduct and promised that “those responsible no longer work FBI matters.”

What happened to Nassar? He eventually pleaded guilty in 2016 to federal child pornography offenses and sexual abuse charges in Michigan. He is serving decades in prison after hundreds of gymnasts said he sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment. But the FBI did not investigate him until roughly 14 months after initial allegations were reported. During this time, the inspector general estimated, Nassar abused at least 70 additional athletes.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report on how the Netflix documentary Athlete A shed light on the sexual abuse crisis in gymnastics.