US Justice Dept to pay $139m to victims of USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar

The US Justice Department has reached a civil settlement worth almost $139 million (€129m) with hundreds of victims of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who is serving time in prison for sexually abusing athletes under his care, the agency said.

The settlement resolves claims the FBI botched the initial investigation into Nassar, the Justice Department said.

"These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset," Benjamin Mizer, the acting US associate attorney general, said in a statement.

"While these settlements won't undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing."

Nassar, the main doctor for Olympic gymnasts for 18 years, was sentenced in federal court in 2017 to 60 years in prison on charges of possessing child sex abuse material.

The following year, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years and up to 125 years, respectively, in two separate Michigan courts for molesting female gymnasts under his care.

US Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney were among the victims who publicly criticized the FBI over its handling of the investigation.

The settlement resolves 139 separate claims, the department said.

The women accused the FBI of failing to act on evidence it received in 2015, allowing Nassar to continue sexually abusing young women and girls until he was charged in 2016.

"We are proud to have achieved a monumental settlement with the US Department of Justice, that not only secures the recovery the survivors deserve but also holds the DOJ and FBI accountable for their failures," four lawyers who represented 77 of the victims said in a statement

A report by the Justice Department's