Nassar will be sentenced Monday in Eaton County. He is already serving 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges, and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in Ingham County.
According to Judge Cunningham a total of 65 victim impact statements were provided to the court during the Eaton County sentencing hearing.
Angela Povilatis from the AG's office was the first to make a statement Monday morning. "We must all start by believing victims when they tell, regardless of who the adult is."
Povilatis highlighted two thing she says she took away from this sentencing hearing. "We must stop blaming, stop blaming victims, stop blaming parents. And second we must transform this pain, and this anger, and this hurt into something good. Victim shaming has to stop. It is so hard for these victims. What can't be seen from the bench where you sit, or the jury box where the media sits, is just how hard it is and was for many." She says only dark-hearted people would attack the victims.
Povilatis says that above all, we are taught to trust doctors. "It could have happened to any parent." She says Nassar fooled parents who were police officers, doctors, engineers. "Regardless of their profession, he fooled them all." She has a message to the parents of the survivors, "please, try to let your guilt go. Your children to not blame you. You are good parents. You're great parents. You believed your daughters,y ou stand with them, you support them. You will be there to comfort them, to wipe their tears." She continues, "to show them they are not broken. Because they are not broken."
"The blame, and the shame belong on one person. The defendant." She wants the survivors, and parents, to "transform" their pain and anger constructively. "Cast the shame and guilt aside, and cast it where it belongs - on him." She points to Nassar.
"Something good must come from this." She says it might be hard to believe, but some good has come from this already. "Young women have been, and are empowered to stand up for themselves. And now we can be sure that a group of determined women can transform into advocates of change."
"A criminal sentencing, must protect, punish, and deter," she asks the judge to do all three. Requesting the judge to sentence Nassar to 40 years to 125 years in prison.
