Nassar sentencing hearing halted as father lunges at disgraced doctor

The father of two sexual abuse victims lunged at Larry Nassar in court on Friday, bringing the USA Gymnastics doctor's final sentencing hearing to an abrupt halt. 

Randall Margraves suddenly hurled himself towards Nassar after his two daughters had testified to their abuse at Nassar's hands. He was tackled by three sheriff's deputies.

"I want that son of a b****!" Margraves yelled as he was being handcuffed.

"What if this happened to you guys?" he said while being escorted out of the courtroom.

The incident came on the second day of Nassar's final sentencing hearing as dozens of women waited for their turn to confront Nassar and tell the court of the abuse they suffered.

TRT World's Usmaan Lone has more. 

Madison and Lauren Margraves had just spoken, when their father asked the judge to "grant me five minutes in a locker room with that demon."

The comment at first elicited chuckles from the courtroom, and the judge Janice Cunningham replied "I can't do that."

At that point Margraves lunged toward Nassar, who was taken out of the courtroom, halting the hearing.

TRT World spoke to Michigan-based journalist Rick Pluta on how people are dealing with the magnitude and scale of the sexual abuse case involving over 260 victims.

Years of abuse

Nassar, 54, has already been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting young female gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment, after more than 150 victims offered anguished accounts of his years of abuse. 

He is also serving a 60-year federal term for child pornography convictions.

The latest sentencing hearing in Eaton County, which saw around 30 women testify during its first day on Wednesday, is related to a separate set of charges to which Nassar pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Widespread outrage

His case has sparked broader outrage after numerous victims accused USA Gymnastics, the sport's governing body, and Michigan State University, where Nassar worked, of failing to investigate complaints about him going back years. 

US Olympic officials have also been criticised by some of the sport's biggest stars, including gold medalists Aly Raisman, Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney.

On Thursday, the police department in Meridian, Michigan, apologised publicly to one victim for declining to press charges against Nassar in 2004 when she reported that he abused her. 

The Wall Street Journal also said on Thursday that US Olympic officials did not intervene after being told in 2015 that USA Gymnastics had uncovered possible abuse by Nassar.

USA Gymnastics' board of directors resigned en masse last week in the wake of Nassar's sentencing, as did the president and athletic director of Michigan State. 

The scandal has prompted several investigations into those institutions.