In wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, parents warned to ask hard questions

A psychologist who produced a film about the Larry Nassar warns parents have to ask hard questions of sporting organisations.

Doctor Larry Nassar sexually abused hundreds of young female gymnasts

A psychologist who produced an Emmy-nominated film about the Larry Nassar, the doctor convicted of sexually assaulting hundreds of young US gymnasts, warns parents have to ask hard questions of sporting organisations.

Psychologist Steven Ungerleider began interviewing Nassar’s victims four years ago for the film, having a background in the sport and the Olympic world. He likened some of Nassar’s predatory behaviour to that of entertainer Rolf Harris.

Both men were able to sexually assault girls while adults were around: Harris even assaulted one girl during a television filming event in Cambridge in 1978; Nassar, the osteopathic physician for the US women’s Olympic gymnastics team, often assaulted his victims while their mothers were in the room, hiding his actions behind a towel or using his body as a shield. Others were assaulted in the basement treatment room of his house, during training camps and international competitions.

Ungerleider told The Weekend Australian that the lessons were universal. “You cannot leave five, six, seven or eight-year-old children at a gym or sporting club,” he said. “Be there, and get to know the owner and coaches and everyone on site, ask about the personnel, their safety protocols, who hired the staff, the background checks, the policy of complaints.

You cannot assume they are safe places, you must ask many questions, and keep asking questions.’’

Ungerleider’s resulting film At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, directed by Erin Lee Carr, has prompted a global reaction, including from Australian sports administrators using the film as an important lesson about what went wrong.

Ungerleider believes Australia’s protocols and sporting governance have helped ensure we have not experienced a scandal such as the one involving Nassar. Although evidence shows Nassar was abusing young gymnasts at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and was conducting medical seminars in Australia.

Yet with Australia’s strong reporting culture, there are cases where sports don’t have the evidence to be able to eject suspect people and police have taken no action.

Last year The Australian revealed how a scholarship holder in winter sports was causing distress to young girls, sexting and sending photos of his genitalia. Despite a parental complaint and vigorous efforts of officials to garner evidence, this athlete is still in the sport.

Ungerleider said Nassar was even able to get other medical experts to support his claim that his sexual assaults, using no gloves and with no other medical personnel present, was a legitimate medical technique. “These doctors are now very upset and have felt manipulated by Nassar,’’ he said.

So what hope then for young girls confused about where the line is drawn about what is appropriate, fearful of rocking the boat because it could impact on scholarships and Olympic team selection?

Nassar hid his evil actions behind a veneer of likability and in Ungerleider’s extraordinary documentary the gymnasts explain how he groomed them by being the nice guy, the one who was understanding when their physical world was one of being shouted at and having their bodies stretched to breaking point.

Some gymnasts are shown disbelieving at first that Nassar was violating their bodies.

Unusually, At The Heart of Gold even interviews Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who allowed the cameras to film emotionally powerful testimonies of many of the survivors, and her sentencing of Nassar to 175 years in jail.

In Australia, 20 ex-gymnasts complained about a longstanding culture of bullying, mental and physical abuse after watching Athlete A, a film about how a newspaper, the Indianapolis Star, revealed Nassar’s evil behaviour.

Those claims are being investigated by the Sex Commissioner Kate Jenkins, but the Human Rights Commission said the review would not investigate individual allegations or make findings against any individuals.

In the situation with Nassar there were plenty of reports and complaints that were ignored or covered up, going back to his medical school studies. The fallout from this constellation of underlying failures continues. Michigan State University, where Nassar was a physician, agreed to a $500 million settlement for athletes.

Steve Penny, former president of USA Gymnastics, has pleaded not guilty on charges of tampering with evidence in a criminal case still pending. The US Olympic committee chief executive Scott Blackmun has been given a $2.4m farewell payout after allegations he was told about Nassar. The entire board of USA Gymnastics has resigned. Michigan State University gymnastics coach Kathie Klages has been found guilty of lying to police when she denied that two teen athletes told her of sexual abuse by Nassar in 1997, two decades before he was finally charged.

Ungerleider emphasised to The Weekend Australian: it’s important to believe what children are telling you’’