Larry Nassar stabbed in prison: Everything we know about attack against disgraced doctor

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Larry Nassar, the disgraced sports doctor who is currently serving a multi-decade prison sentence for sexually abusing child athletes, was stabbed by another inmate in a federal prison on Sunday.

Nassar, 59, was supposedly stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Coleman II in Sumterville, Florida, sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The extent of Nassar’s injuries is unclear though he is said to be in stable condition. One source claimed he was stabbed in the back and the chest.

Nassar, a former sports physician for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, is currently serving 40 to 175 years in prison for abusing his power to sexually assault children and young women. Additionally, he was convicted of possessing child sex abuse images.

Sunday’s altercation marks the second time it was made public that Nassar was attacked while serving his jail sentence. The disgraced doctor was moved to USP Coleman II in 2018 after being attacked at the USP in Tuscon, Arizona.

Here is everything we know about the incident.

Nassar was reportedly assaulted by a fellow inmate at USP Coleman II Sunday after an altercation occurred, The Associated Press first reported.

USP Coleman II is a high-security facility that houses around 1,214 male offenders.

In a statement provided to The Independent, the US Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed an altercation occurred around 2.35pm local time on 9 July but declined to provide details about the inmates involved or the inmates’ medical status “for privacy, safety and security reasons.”

Sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that an inmate stabbed Nassar in the back and chest.

The BOP added: “Responding staff immediately initiated life-saving measures. Staff requested Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and life-saving efforts continued. The inmate was transported by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation.”

Sources claimed Nassar was in stable condition as of Monday.

BOP said that No other staff or inmates were injured and at no time during the incident was the public in danger. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was also notified of the attack and an internal investigation is ongoing.

The incident marks the second time Nassar has reportedly been attacked while serving his prison sentence.

In 2018, Nassar was moved to USP Coleman II after being assaulted at USP Tucson. Nassar was attacked almost immediately after being placed in the general population at USP Tucson following his child pornography and sexual assault convictions.

Nassar was at the centre of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal in 2016 when it was revealed that for at least 14 years of his career as the team doctor and an osteopathic physician at Michigan State University, Nassar sexually abused children and young adult athletes.

Over 260 women, including Olympians Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Gabby Douglas, accused Nassar of sexually assaulting them under the pretense of providing medical treatment beginning in the 1990s.

In 2021, several prominent athletes, including Ms Biles and Ms Maroney, testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the failures of the FBI, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to investigate and stop Nassar after he was reported.

Their testimony was part of a congressional hearing to hold the FBI accountable after the organisation made multiple errors while investigating the case – including delays that allowed Nassar to abuse more young gymnasts.

Additionally, an investigation by the FBI found that Nassar had more than 37,000 videos and images of child sex abuse images dating back from 2004 until 2016.

In 2017, Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to child sex abuse images and tampering with evidence by trying to destroy or conceal the footage.

Nassar was also sentenced to an additional 40 to 175 years in Michigan State prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of sexual assault. Another 40 to 125 years were added after he pled guilty to an additional three counts of sexual assault.

As of now, Nassar’s earliest potential for release is January 2068 however at 59 years old Nassar will likely die before being released.