After the intense Filthy Rich

After I somewhat absorbed the blows of the documentary Filthy Rich about Jeffrey Epstein (although I still have so many questions: what about Epstein's deformed penis? And why do he and Weinstein apparently have no shame despite their abnormal genitals? Or is it precisely because of that why they have an intense ‘expose’ drive? But above all: where is Ghislaine Maxwell? Anyway, to be continued), Netflix presents a new documentary that exposes serial abuse.

Starting Wednesday, June 24, Athlete A will be available, a documentary about Maggie Nichols and all the other women who were abused by their sports doctor Larry Nassar as underage girls at that time.

At a certain point, it became too much for Maggie Nichols, and she called a news editorial and spoke with her direct coach, a woman. She responded well and advised her to file a complaint. USA Gymnastics then said they would call the police themselves. You probably won't be surprised that this never happened. I find it shocking that you see the head of USA Gymnastics, Steve Penney, who fearlessly responds to the question of whether USA Gymnastics would file a report if someone comes forward with a complaint of sexual abuse. His answer: ‘No.’

Due to Maggie Nichols' coming out, other women dare to speak up. One of his first victims has also come forward. She was abused by Larry while her coach watched. As a result of gymnastics, she wears a silver splint to support her hand, but it is nothing compared to the scars in her soul that she still carries with her thirty years later.

In the trailer, you see yet another beautifully made documentary where the ending, as all the women unite in the courtroom, hits me just as hard as with Epstein. We are survivors, not victims, they say. And so it is.

Perhaps a meager consolation that Larry Nassar has now been sentenced to 176 years in prison. It of course took far too long, and it should never have happened, but there was justice after all.