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World News

Former gymnast tells abusive doctor the gospel in court

The ex-US Olympics gymnastics doctor has been sentenced to 175 years and pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault against girls and young women.

Rachael Denhollander stood up in court and spoke for 40 minutes to her abuser, saying: "if you have read the Bible you carry, you know forgiveness does not come from doing good things, as if good deeds can erase what you have done. It comes from repentance which requires facing and acknowledging the truth about what you have done."

She went to on to say he cannot earn Jesus' forgiveness without facing up to what he has done, "in all of its utter depravity and horror without mitigation".

Explaining the grace of God to him, Denhollander said forgiveness was available to him: "Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing.

"And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found. And it will be there for you."

Denhollander added that she wanted him to find repentance: "I pray you experience the soul crushing weight of guilt so you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God, which you need far more than forgiveness from me-though I extend that to you as well."

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