The father of two young gymnasts has charged at convicted child molester Larry Nassar during his final sentencing for the sexual assault of hundreds of girls over his career as doctor for the US gymnastics team.
Randall Margraves had just heard the victim statements from two of his three daughters, all of whom said that they had been assaulted by Nassar, when he asked Judge Janice Cunningham to grant him “five minutes in a locked room with this demon“. She refused. He asked for just one minute alone with Nassar, and she again (compassionately) refused.
That’s when Margraves launched himself at Nassar, attempting to tackle him.
WATCH: Father rushes Larry Nassar after his 3 daughters gave victim impact statements. https://t.co/3a4wEJnONq pic.twitter.com/Fcf97wzHlM
— Detroit Free Press (@freep) February 2, 2018
Nassar’s lawyer leapt in front of him, and Margraves was then tackled to the ground by court officers. It took three men to restrain him, as he yelled, “Give me one minute with that bastard.”
WATCH: The father of victims of ex-USA Gymnastic doctor Larry Nassar lunges at Nassar in court after saying to judge, “I would ask you to as part of the sentencing to grant me 5 minutes in a locked room with this demon.” https://t.co/KltZISbi1m pic.twitter.com/Am0N4gZzsT
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 2, 2018
Apparently, Margraves had just learned that the assaults of his daughters had taken place behind a curtain while he was in the room, under the guise of routine physical procedures.
https://twitter.com/AaronsOnLine/status/959438500251820032
Randall Margraves will not be fined or jailed. Apologizes to the judge. Margraves said he heard things in the courtroom by his daughters today he didn’t know before. https://t.co/SkDy62AeIs
— Anam Siddiq (@anamsiddiq) February 2, 2018
Later, Judge Cunningham said that while she could choose to give Margraves a hefty fine, or even jail time, she was refusing to punish him for his actions, saying:
There is no way this court is going to issue any type of punishment due to the circumstances of this case.
She added that she was letting him off with a warning: “I cannot tolerate or condone vigilantism or any other type of action that basically comes down to an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
Margraves apologised to the court and to the officers who had to tackle him, saying:
I’m not here to upstage my daughters. I’m here to help them heal.
Nassar has already been sentenced to more than 170 years in prison. By the end of the legal proceedings, over 200 of his victims will have addressed the courts.
