"I doubt that any girls credited his criminal 'treatments' as healing, is that really what you meant to say?"

That was mentioned in the article. Not the precise words, but at least one mother mentioned that she had doubts but her daughter said the treatment she was getting was helping her.

Presumably others thought the same thing, or he wouldn't have had so many repeat patients.

That does not excuse his actions, especially as some patients did make complaints. But it sure throws a monkey wrench in the idea that physical touching of the genitals is inherently damaging. Very possibly the other girls would not have had any reason to complain if they had lived in a society where there was no presumption of harm. In such a society, Nassar's actions might have elicited no more thought than manipulation of an ankle or an elbow - and complaints would center on whether the patient felt actual pain or harm, not on whether they felt his actions violated social norms.

And that points to the nocebo effect as the most likely cause of harm in this case. Nassar is still guilty of acting as he did even though he knew or should have known the potential harm from the nocebo effect.




Baldur