Rachael Denhollander was the #MeToo leader a full year and a half prior to anything regarding Harvey Weinstein. Why? Because she was the one who finally said ENOUGH and broke the silence surrounding sexual predator Larry Nassar. Rachael’s powerful statement was one of the last to be given during the sentencing hearing. 

ONE HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT impact statements were presented to the court by the survivors of this predator. Courageous women who stood up and confronted a predator who started attacking them when they were innocent young girls.

A sexual predator is now seeing justice delivered. Justice that has been denied to all the survivors for far too long.

It's crucial for someone in the position of authority to stand up for these girls, for these girls to hear affirmed how devastating and wrong his actions were, to see him loudly and publicly condemned. The healing that can create cannot be underestimated.

— Lindsay Hunter (@lindsaydevon) January 24, 2018

Yet many are now accusing Judge Aquilina of grandstanding.

As Judge Aquilina says, she’s not anyone special. She’s an immigrant who tries her best to give everyone a voice. Her parents, mother is German and father is from Malta, emigrated to the United States when she was a toddler. A woman who made her way through school and more in order to become the first female Judge Advocate General (JAG) for Michigan National Guard.

Yet, many say she was grandstanding.

This is really unfair of the judge to these victims. She got to showboat and as a result the whole sentencing will likely be repeated.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) January 24, 2018

This was my thought. Everyone is applauding this judge who exploited the limelight for her own ends and likely jeopardized the sentence in the process. I don't get it. Cheer the victims who bravely faces their abuser, absolutely, but why are we cheering for a showboating judge? https://t.co/xPGdAzFZi4

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) January 24, 2018

Yes, I understand that, from a legal standpoint, there could be problems with her statement. But I’d like our readers to think about this.

As Gail points out here, Judge Aquilina spoke for the SURVIVORS! Did you want her to kowtow and speak all pretty for Nassar? Why should she? Was she REALLY showboating given that Nassar wrote two letters blaming everyone else?

In the first letter, which we highlighted here, Nassar whined about how sad it made him to hear from those he preyed upon. In his second letter, he called out the judge AND slammed every single girl he molested!

Larry Nassar: “I was a good doctor b/c my treatments worked & those patients who are now speaking out are the same ones that praised & came back over and over … the media convinced them everything I did was wrong. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” https://t.co/gLERkXBwlL

— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) January 24, 2018

“I was a good doctor because my treatments worked, and those patients that are now speaking out were the same ones that praised and came back over and over, and referred family and friends to see me. The media convinced them that everything I did was wrong and bad. They feel I broke their trust.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It is just a complete nightmare.

“The stories that are being fabricated to sensationalize this, then the AG would only accept my plea if I said what I did was not medical and was for my own pleasure. They forced me to say that or they were going to trial and not accepting the plea. I wanted to plead no contest, but the AG refused that. I was so manipulated by the AG and now Aquilina. All I wanted was to minimize stress to everyone, like I wrote earlier.”

That, from Nassar is utter bullshit!! Remorse is completely and utterly nonexistent with this cretin. IMO, Nassar deserves the derision, scorn, and sentencing he got.

I am walloped by the scope of the abuse and overcome with the power of these women's collective voices and the judge who heard them. https://t.co/ImdjerBswD

— Zoe Zolbrod (@zoezolbrod) January 24, 2018

I wish there had been a woman like Judge Aquilina around about 13 years ago. Thank you #JudgeAquilina https://t.co/3MeDtZA5pP

— Jennifer M.K. Parkin (@JMKernerParkin) January 24, 2018

She did it for them….for the victims so those of you who thought she was too mean to a rapist can just take a seat in the back, way in the back. https://t.co/AbeYDmOpu4

— Maria1200 (@mariaso1200) January 24, 2018

Folks, this man preyed upon 168 girls that we know of. Michigan State University president, coaching staff and coaches in other disciplines are complicit because they ALL received reports. And did nothing. Where has the NCAA been for the last 20 years? US Gymnastics knew and couldn’t be bothered to do anything until Rachael Denhollander spoke up.

While these brave amazing survivors were facing the predator who harmed them, the question was asked: 

How come NONE of the coaches showed up during any part of the trial or provided any statement supporting those that Nassar preyed upon?

It’s a question that should be asked again and again because right now, the silence from all coaches and trainers is damning.

Thanks to the courage of Rachael Denhollander, Kyle Stephens and all the other survivors, Nassar will be in prison of for the rest of his life.

Yes, I understand the legal implications of Judge Aquilina’s statement. But what I ALSO understand is this; from MSU to US Gymnastics to Karolyi’s ranch along with the NCAA and the USA Olympics; credible information regarding Nassar’s preying on innocent girls was swept under the rug for TWENTY YEARS or more. With the end result that 168 lives were irrevocably damaged.

Sometimes justice has to be angry. Sometimes the money lenders, enablers, and predators have to be driven out of the temple with fiery anger.