Just moments before Judge Rosemarie Aquilina handed down a sentence of 40 to 175years in prison to USA gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, she read a portion of a letter he sent to the court that left people in shock and the judge questioning his remorse.
“I was a good doctor because my treatments worked and those patients that are now speaking out were the same ones that praised and came back over and over and referred family and friends to see me. The media convinced them (his victims) that everything I did was wrong and bad. They feel I broke their trust,” Judge Aquilina read from Nassar’s six-page letter.
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” the letter continued. Gasps could be heard in the courtroom.
Laughter broke out when Aquilina read a portion where Nassar explained how he felt victimized by the attorney general during the trial.
“I was so manipulated by the AG and now Aquilina and all I wanted was to minimize stress to everyone, like I wrote earlier.”
Nassar had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting seven females in the Lansing area between 1998 and 2015, but the hearing was open to all of his accusers. More than 150 women and girls who said they were sexually abused by Nassar spoke at the sentencing.
Nassar has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison on separate federal child pornography charges.
Judge Aquilina said she did not want to release the letter, which Nassar earlier in the proceedings, in it’s entirety because information in there may hurt the victims, but she said she considered the letter before delivering his sentence.
“I considered it in sentencing as an extension of your apology and whether I believe it or not,” she said in court Wednesday.
After reading the letter, Judge Aquilina asked Nassar if he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea, and he refused.
FULL COVERAGE OF LARRY NASSAR'S SENTENCING
