Brief

Judge Aquilina warns gymnastics world of ongoing safety failures

At the Rotterdam World Gymnastics Championships, Judge Aquilina criticised the sport’s lack of substantive reform since the Nassar scandal.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 20 Oct 2026 02:34:24 GMT

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who sentenced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar to up to 175 years in 2018, said the sport has made little meaningful progress ten years after the abuse was exposed. Speaking at a gathering of activists, survivors and advocates in Rotterdam during the World Gymnastics Championships, Aquilina urged that human rights be placed above the pursuit of medals.

What happened

The event coincided with the World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam. Aquilina insisted that all 169 impact statements submitted after Nassar’s guilty plea be heard in her courtroom. She highlighted that despite the passage of a decade, “there have been very few changes that are meaningful.”

What the reports add

The Guardian reported that Aquilina linked the lack of change to a culture that prioritises money, medals and notoriety over child safety. She also noted that the sport’s new secretary‑general will be appointed after Nicolas Buompane steps down at year‑end. Human Rights Watch’s Minky Worden was quoted saying progress exists in athlete voice and safeguarding rules, but implementation remains weak.

What was said

“Nassar was 10 years ago and there have been very few changes that are meaningful,” Aquilina told the audience, according to the Guardian. Survivor Claire Heafford, chief executive of Gymnasts for Change International, said, “We’re still in a place where survivors aren’t being listened to and where the scale of the reform hasn’t met the scale of the revelations.” Worden added, “You can measure progress in athlete voice and advocacy, in some whistleblower protections, in safeguarding rules across sport – though the rules are there, but the implementation is not.”

How it came about

The criticism follows a series of high‑profile inquiries into USA Gymnastics after the Nassar case, including the 2021 Senate hearing that featured former Olympians Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols. Felo News previously covered Nassar’s removal from the Michigan sex‑offender registry on 2 October 2026, providing context for the ongoing legal and reputational fallout surrounding the former doctor.

Key facts

• Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced Larry Nassar to up to 175 years in 2018. (theguardian.com)
• Aquilina said all 169 impact statements were heard in her courtroom after Nassar’s guilty plea. (theguardian.com)
• Human Rights Watch’s Minky Worden said safeguarding rules exist but are poorly implemented. (theguardian.com)
• Gymnasts for Change International chief executive Claire Heafford said survivors are still not being listened to. (theguardian.com)

Sources

• [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “‘Money and medals over safety’: Nassar judge warns gymnasts are still being failed”