Political Quotes

“yesterday I introduced the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act, a bill to protect young athletes who participate in the U.S. amateur ranks from sexual abuse. Before last summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Indianapolis Star published an investigative piece that revealed that amateur gymnasts were sexually abused in gyms all across the country. No one knew how widespread the problem was in that sport. But throughout the investigation, the Indianapolis Star tallied-- after reviewing police files and court cases across the country--368 gymnasts who alleged they were sexually abused over a 20-year time period. Kids as young as 6 were secretly photographed in the nude by coaches. Young athletes were molested by coaches during ``therapy'' sessions. Sexual predators spent countless hours with children one-on-one and abused them for years before anything was done. These accounts were devastating. And they were just the tip of the iceberg. After reviewing this report, I, along with my colleagues Senator Leahy, Senator Blumenthal, and Senator Donnelly, wrote to USA Gymnastics to urge the organization to do more to protect their young athletes. Specifically, we urged the organization to update its policies and require that all members--including coaches, athletes, and others-- immediately report to law enforcement when there is an incident of sexual abuse committed against an athlete.…”