A large majority of the survivors of abuse by disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar have voted to accept a settlement plan with the governing body.
Nassar was accused by hundreds of women of abuse under the guise of medical treatment, and is effectively serving a life sentence in prison as a convicted serial sex offender.
In August, USA Gymnastics reached a settlement with a committee representing survivors.
This was initially thought to be $425 million (£321 million/€376 million), but according to USA Today has been revised to more than $400 million (£302 million/€354 million).
It is nearly double last year's rejected $215 million (£162 million/€190 million) proposal, which was widely criticised.
USA Gymnastics will also be required to implement a series of reforms aiming to prevent future abuse of gymnasts, including requiring member clubs to appoint a "Safety Champion" to update the National Federation on its compliance with safeguarding rules.
It has taken years to approach an agreement between USA Gymnastics and abuse victims.
A $500 million (£378 million/€442 million) agreement with 332 survivors of Nassar’s crimes was reached with Michigan State University in 2018.
Judge Robyn Moberly at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana passed the latest plan in October.
Verification documents filed at the Court in Indianapolis this week showed 476 of the 505 ballots submitted by survivors were in favour of the plan, USA Today reported.
The other 29 ballots either missed a signature or were duplications of another ballot, meaning they were invalid.
A further 76 creditors were also balloted, and they largely accepted the proposal, with three voting against it.
The settlement still needs to be confirmed at a hearing in Indianapolis on December 13 and 14.
At least one insurance company is reported to be disputing the contribution it should make towards the plan and funding remains an issue, but a partial settlement could be reached under the accepted proposal, and negotiations are set to continue prior to the hearing.
If a settlement is confirmed at the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana, survivors would not be able to seek further legal action against USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Bela and Martha Karolyi, who ran and own the Karolyi ranch in Texas where some of the abuse took place.
USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy in 2018, but lawsuits by survivors including Olympic champions Simone Biles and Aly Raisman would be allowed to resume should it exit without a deal, according to USA Today.
In September, survivors at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing criticised USA Gymnastics' handling of the investigation into Nassar, with Biles accusing it and the USOPC of allowing Nassar’s abuse of gymnasts to continue.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also came under fire.
The US Department of Justice in October agreed to launch a new probe into the FBI's botched inquiry into abuse committed by Nassar.
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