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'It's Larry, He Would Never Hurt You,' One Woman Remembers Thinking

Chelsea Williams
Katie Cook
/
WKAR-MSU
Chelsea Williams says obedience, pain, and silent suffering were things that came with being an Elite gymnast, and they were masterfully manipulated by Nassar. At the time of the abuse, she remembers thinking "it's Larry, he would never hurt you."

As we head into another day of sentencing proceedings for former MSU Doctor Larry Nassar in Lansing, some are still asking how a doctor was able to sexually abuse 125 women and girls before being discovered.

One woman who spoke Wednesday said that in the disciplined world of competitive gymnastics, you don’t question those who are involved in your training. Especially a world-renowned doctor who treats famous athletes.

The court heard from more than 20 victims of Larry Nassar Wednesday, several of whom had originally wished to be anonymous but changed their minds. They credited the testimonies of other women with inspiring them to make their names public.

Chelsea Williams is one such woman. She went to Nassar for treatment when she was an Elite gymnast and was repeatedly assaulted. She explained that understanding gymnastics culture is key to understanding how this abuse happened so frequently and to so many.

"All of us have been training since childhood. I began gymnastics when I was five years old.  This results in a lifetime of obedience and ingrained trust in coaches and staff that cannot be underestimated as a factor in this case of abuse."

50 statements have been heard so far, and that’s only half of what’s expected before the week is over.

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