The lawsuit against New Hampshire concerning abuse allegations at the state-run youth detention center is set to go to trial this week. David Meehan, the lead plaintiff, disclosed that he was raped while in custody, leading to an unprecedented criminal investigation. Eleven former state workers are facing criminal charges, and dozens more are accused in over 1,200 lawsuits filed by former residents alleging abuse spanning six decades. The trial is expected to be the most public display of this disturbing situation yet. While one team of state lawyers is defending the state in the civil cases, another is prosecuting the perpetrators in criminal trials.
Meehan was only 14 years old when he was sent to the facility, where he claims to have been routinely beaten, raped hundreds of times, and kept in solitary confinement for months. He alleges that workers who were supposed to care for him instead subjected him to abuse, with some standing guard or holding him down during assaults. While seeking at least $1.9 million in damages, Meehan’s lawsuit accuses the state of negligence in hiring, training, and supervising its employees, allowing the abuse to occur. The state, however, denies these allegations and argues that it is not liable for the actions of “rogue” employees.
The state also disputes the severity of Meehan’s injuries, claiming that some actions were necessary for maintaining order and discipline. They argue that Meehan waited too long to come forward, but exceptions to the statute of limitations exist when victims did not know of the harm or its link to the wrongful party. On the criminal side, ten men have been charged with sexually assaulting teenagers at the facility from 1994 to 2007, while an 11th faces charges related to a pretrial facility in Concord. Despite the criminal charges, the state maintains that they do not influence the outcome of Meehan’s case.
The trial is expected to last for several weeks, with substantial evidence coming from the ongoing criminal investigation. Judge Andrew Schulman, who is overseeing the trial, has emphasized the importance of sticking to the facts and avoiding appeals to passion. The case has garnered significant attention, with Meehan expressing a mix of emotions – from heartwarming to painful – as he sees the impact of his disclosure on others who have come forward with their own stories of abuse. This trial represents a crucial step in seeking justice for the victims while holding accountable those responsible for the horrifying abuses that occurred at the state-run youth detention center.
