New Hampshire settles youth center abuse case for $10 million

The New Hampshire attorney general's office has reached a $10 million settlement with Michael Gilpatrick, who alleged he was gang-raped in the state's youth detention center during the 1990s. This settlement comes as both parties opted to resolve the case out of court, avoiding a trial which would have been the second involving claims against the state related to sexual abuse at the facility. Lawyers for Gilpatrick reported the agreement on Saturday.

The amount settled is notably higher than the $2.5 million maximum available to abuse victims through the state's settlement fund, though it falls short of the $38 million awarded by a jury in a prior case that is currently being contested by the state. Gilpatrick, now 41, was just 14 when he entered the Youth Development Center in 1997, where he has accused ten staff members of sexual and physical abuse.

Gilpatrick vividly recounted the traumatic experiences he faced, claiming he was attacked by staff members in a stairwell and frequently endured physical abuse. He described an environment where victims felt completely isolated, with no one to confide in or support them. “That place turned us into what we were,” he said in a prior interview, highlighting the profound effects of the abuse on his identity and mental health.

Recent investigations have led to multiple arrests of former youth counselors since 2019, with eleven individuals charged, although some cases have faced complications, such as competency issues or resulted in deaths before trial. Two individuals have been convicted, while another case is set for retrial later this year after a jury deadlocked.

The facility, named after former Governor John H. Sununu, has dwindled in capacity over the years and is slated for closure, with plans for it to be replaced by a much smaller center focused on housing only those involved in the most severe violent offenses.