Suicide of disgraced Olympics coach John Geddert an ‘escape from justice,’ former gymnast says

Ex-USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert’s suicide was “an escape from justice” by a man who’d just been charged with two dozen sex abuse-related felonies, ex-gymnast and Geddert accuser Sarah Klein said Friday.

Geddert’s death was “traumatizing beyond words,” Klein said in a statement.

“He tortured and abused little girls, myself included, for more than 30 years and was able to cheat justice,” Klein said.

Geddert, 63, was found dead at a highway rest area outside Lansing, Mich. on Thursday afternoon moments after state prosecutors held a news conference announcing a slew of charges connected to his sexual abuse of young gymnasts over the years.

Had he been convicted of all the charges, Geddert could have spent the rest of his life in prison.

“Geddert was a narcissistic abuser,” said Klein, the first-known survivor of sports doctor and convicted rapist Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor and an associate of Geddert.

In this file photo, John Geddert watches his students during practice in December 2011. (Greg DeRuiter/)

“His [Geddert’s] suicide is an admission of guilt that the entire world can now see,” Klein said. “Also guilty are his enablers including the top officials at USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee who promoted him, enabled him and allowed him to coach Team USA.”

Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman also blamed USA Gymnastics for allowing people like Geddert and Nassar to go unpunished for so long.

“For an organization that has claimed for the past 15+ years that ‘athlete safety is the No. 1 priority,’ it’s impossible to imagine a greater failure,” Raisman tweeted.

“Sick to my stomach,” she wrote in another tweet. “Thinking of the survivors out there. Wish there was more I could say to ease the pain & suffering.”

Geddert, a notoriously aggressive coach who led the U.S. women’s team to a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, used physical force against his athletes “to get them to perform to the standard he expected,” authorities said.

Geddert was also accused of intimidating his victims, threatening them and sexually abusing at least one girl by digitally penetrating her when she was between the ages of 13 and 16.

The charges against Geddert included 14 counts of human trafficking for forced labor, six counts of human trafficking of a minor for forced labor and one count each of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and criminal enterprise.

Officials with USA Gymnastics issued a short statement Thursday saying they were shocked by the news of Geddert’s alleged crimes and death.

“With the news of his death by suicide, we share the feelings of shock, and our thoughts are with the gymnastics community as they grapple with the complex emotions of today’s events,” they said.

Geddert was expected to surrender Thursday before his body was found with a gunshot wound at an interstate highway rest area.

Rachael Denhollander, another former gymnast who survived Nassar’s abuse, reminded the women who helped Michigan authorities investigate and charge Geddert that their courage mattered.

“Geddert’s choice today was his, and his alone,” she said Thursday on Twitter. “What each survivor did was put an end to the abuse and save others. Thank you.”

Klein echoed those words and thanked each survivor for their courage.

“The bravery of Geddert’s many victims will stand for all time in stark contrast to his cowardice,” Klein said in her statement.

“As a survivor and a mother of two young girls, my only comfort is in the knowledge that I can rest my head on the pillow every night knowing that John Geddert will never terrorize and abuse another child.”