Rachael Denhollander is a fierce light. That’s the first thing I thought after watching her testimony at the hearing against USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of molesting hundreds of girls over decades.
Then, I got an early copy of her new book, “How Much is a Girl Worth?” and dug into the full story behind how Rachael became the face of the scandal that finally put Nassar behind bars.
I watched the HBO documentary, “Heart of Gold” and listened to the podcast, “Believed.” I saw Rachael speak at the Indiana National Prayer Breakfast and then, I got the opportunity to interview her for today’s episode.
Without Rachael’s courage and determination to see justice served for the hundreds of girls abused by Larry Nassar, the man may still be perpetrating abuse. As you’ll hear and read, she did it for the girls Nassar abused, but also for the whole the concept of justice as a whole and the girls to come who will suffer.
It’s not just about USA Gymnastics, but about “community protectionism” that exists within all kinds of organizational structures — churches, governments, families. The concept of justice has often been buried beneath important ideas like forgiveness and grace. Those things are certainly important, but in this situation, Rachael had to squarely focus on justice in order to ensure it would be rightly served.
Her thoughts on this deserver far wider broadcasting than this podcast can offer, but I hope you’ll take them to heart as you listen.
What We Talked About:
- “How Much Is a Girl Worth?” book (don’t miss the children’s book version — “How Much is a Little Girl Worth?”)
- Rachael’s victim-impact statement at trial
Connect with Rachael:
Recent Episodes: