The first woman to publicly accuse Larry Nassar of sexual assault paid tribute to a detective who worked on the case by naming her newborn daughter after her, according to reports.
Rachael Denhollander, 33, praised Michigan State University Detective Lt. Andrea Renee Munford in the birth announcement of her fourth child, according to mlive.com.
“Elora Renee Joy. Elora – to God belongs the victory. Renee – Rebirth, redemption. And after Dt. Lt. Andrea Renee Munford, who fought for us and made redeeming so much evil, possible,” the proud mom tweeted Friday.
“Just need a few more babies so we can have namesakes for the others who fought for us too,” the Kalamazoo, Mich., native added, along with a smiley accompanying her sleeping baby.
The former gymnast was just 15 years old when she was molested by Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor who was on staff at MSU as a physician for decades.
She first stepped forward and publicly accused Nassar of sexual abuse in September 2016, paving the way for hundreds of others to speak out with similar stories of abuse.
“I am very grateful to have reached a settlement with MSU that reflects the incredible damage which took place on MSU’s campus,” Denhollander said in a statement in May after the announcement of a $500 million settlement that will be paid to 332 women and girls.
Denhollander, who made Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in April, has been cited as a role model by other women abused by the disgraced doctor.
Nassar was accused of using his role as team doctor to sexually abuse 265 girls and women dating back to 1992. He pleaded guilty to several sexual-abuse charges and was ordered to spend between 40 and 175 years in prison.
Angela Povilaitis, the Michigan assistant attorney general who prosecuted the Nassar case, congratulated Denhollander and her husband, Jacob, who live in Kentucky.
“I have such happy tears right now,” Povilaitis tweeted. “What a beautiful & perfect name!”
Last week, more than 100 of Nassar’s sexual-abuse victims took the stage during an emotional ceremony at the ESPY awards in Los Angeles.
Actress Jennifer Garner presented the women with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, calling them “sister survivors.”