Attorneys Mo Aziz of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz and National Trial Lawyers member Michelle Simpson Tuegel, who jointly represent a number of former Olympic and USA National Team Gymnasts who attended and were abused at Karolyi ranch from approximately 2000 to 2015 respond to the indictments and statement from Walker County Officials:
Attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel said, “The Walker County DA said they have no corroborated evidence that the Karolyis did anything wrong, yet they indicted Debbie Van Horn for felony sexual assault of a child. Walker County agreed, USAG totally failed to protect children and athletes and Steve Penny did not cooperate. They claim that Karolyi Ranch and USA Gymnastics were completely separate. Yet, at one point during the period of abuse, Karoyi Ranch was branded the official ‘USA Gymnastics Olympic Training Center.’ Some of our clients were abused during that time period, and to those little girls who had the nightmare of a their doctor coming into their rooms to abuse them under the guise of treatment, with Van Horn sometimes present, the Karolyis, Nassar, Vanhorn, USAG—it was all one in the same, adults who failed to protect them, hurt them, and turned a blind eye towards their pain and suffering. Bottom line, Walker County appears to have no intention of holding all of the adults who failed, such as the Karolyis, accountable, that’s why we recently asked the Texas AG to get involved. At this point, it is up to the Federal Department of Justice to hold the ALL of the adults who failed these children and covered up the abuse accountable. It is clear Texas will not.”
Attorney Mo Aziz also added, “The fact that Walker County needed the Governor to push them into investigating the alleged wrongdoing of these other adults is concerning. This also points to the need to change the statute of limitations for reporting sex abuse in Texas as Michigan has done.”
