Rachael Denhollander, the first woman athlete credited with not only accusing but actively pursuing criminal charges against disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar for sexual abuse, has reacted to news of his stabbing in a Florida prison.

 The attack happened Sunday at United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida. He was stabbed during an altercation with another inmate at a federal prison in the stomach and chest. At the time of the attack, Nassar was serving decades in prison for convictions in state and federal courts for sexually assaulting gymnasts, including Olympic medalists.

Nassar has managed to survive the attack and is currently in stable condition.

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In a series of tweets on Monday, Denhollander wrote, “Justice is conformity to what is right. It should be pursued and fought for. Forgiveness is releasing personal vengeance and desiring for the offender to find true repentance and peace. I am holding both especially today. I still mean these words I spoke years ago: “Larry, I want you to understand why I made this choice knowing full well what it was going to cost to get here and with very little hope of ever succeeding. I did it because it was right. No matter the cost, it was right…” And the farthest I can run from what you have become is to daily choose what is right instead of what I want. You have become a man ruled by selfish and perverted desires, a man defined by his daily choices repeatedly to feed that selfishness and perversion…”

She added: “You chose to pursue your wickedness no matter what it cost others and the opposite of what you have done is for me to choose to love sacrificially, no matter what it costs me… In our early hearings. you brought your Bible into the courtroom and you have spoken of praying for forgiveness. And so it is on that basis that I appeal to you. If you have read the Bible you carry, you know the definition of sacrificial love portrayed is of God himself loving.. so sacrificially that he gave up everything to pay a penalty for the sin he did not commit. By his grace, I, too, choose to love this way.”

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“You spoke of praying for forgiveness. But Larry, if you have read the Bible you carry, you know forgiveness does not come from doing good things, as if good deeds can erase what you have done… It comes from repentance which requires facing and acknowledging the truth about what you have done in all of its utter depravity and horror without mitigation, without excuse, without acting as if good deeds can erase what you have seen this courtroom today… The Bible you carry speaks of a final judgment where all of God’s wrath and eternal terror is poured out on men like you. Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing… I pray you experience the soul crushing weight of guilt so you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God, which you need far more than forgiveness from me — though I extend that to you as well… And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found. And it will be there for you…” she continued.

Who is Rachael Denhollander?

Rachael Denhollander is a lawyer and former gymnast. Denhollander was born on December 8, 1984, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 2004, she coached gymnastics. She began law school at Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy when she was 19.

She was the first woman to publicly expose Larry Nassar, the former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor, of sexual assault. eventually, hundreds of women came forward with their own experiences of facing abuse, which ultimately led to his conviction. She came forward 16 years after Nassar first abused her.

Denhollander was the last to speak during both of Nassar’s sentencing hearings. While urging the judges to impose the maximum sentence on Nassar, Denhollander said, “How much is a little girl worth? These victims are worth everything … I plead with you to impose the maximum sentence under the plea agreement because everything is what these survivors are worth.”

 Time magazine named her 2018’s list of the world’s 100 Most Influential People for bringing Nassar to justice. She also won Sports Illustrated’s Inspiration of the Year Award on December 12, 2018.

Denhollander is married to her husband, Jacob. They have four children together: Jonathan, Annaliese, Ellianna, and Elora.