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An Olympic gold medalist has accused US authorities of paying her over $1 million dollars to stop her going public with abuse claims.
In a lawsuit filed this week McKayla Maroney has accused USA Gymnastics of engaging in a systematic cover-up after she was sexually abused by a team doctor.
Maroney accused Larry Nassar of molesting her in a post on twitter, she claimed the abuse began when she was 13. The disgraced doctor told her the abuse was a form of physical treatment.
"It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was 'treated.' It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and it happened before I won my silver."
Maroney filed a suit this week against USA Gymnastics. Responding to the news they said in a statement “We cannot speak to the mediation process, which is confidential and privileged under California law."
"The process culminated in a settlement agreement that included a mutual nondisclosure clause and a mutual nondisparagement clause."
The filing in a court in Los Angeles states that the retired gymnast agreed to the terms of the settlement, including the non disclosure agreement, to pay for psychological treatment after suffering for years from psychological trauma of her sexual abuse at the hands of Nassar.
An attorney acting on behalf of the gymnast described the confidentiality agreement as "an immoral and illegal attempt to silence a victim of child sexual abuse."
John Manly also said: "The US Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics were well aware that the victim of child sexual abuse in California cannot be forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement as a condition of a settlement.
"Such agreements are illegal for very good reasons -- they silence victims and allow perpetrators to continue committing their crimes. That is exactly what happened in this case."
"[Nassar] drugged her, made her lay nude on a treatment table, straddled her and digitally penetrated her while rubbing his erect penis against her," Erin Maroney wrote. "She was only 15 years old. She said to me, 'Mom I thought I was going to die.’"
— Jane Coaston (@cjane87) December 20, 2017
"This experience has shattered McKayla. She has transformed from a bubbly, positive, loving, world class athlete into a young adult who was deeply depressed, at times suicidal. At times, I was unsure whether I would open her bedroom door and find her dead."
— Jane Coaston (@cjane87) December 20, 2017
"This experience has shattered McKayla. She has transformed from a bubbly, positive, loving, world class athlete into a young adult who was deeply depressed, at times suicidal. At times, I was unsure whether I would open her bedroom door and find her dead."
— Jane Coaston (@cjane87) December 20, 2017
Former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar is currently behind bars. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison for three counts relating to child sex abuse images on his computer.
Three members formerly of the US Olympic have accused him of sexual abuse.
