David Meehan’s revelation to his wife seven years ago that he had been raped during his time at New Hampshire’s state-run youth detention center sparked an investigation that has led to unprecedented criminal charges against eleven former state workers. The center, now known as the Sununu Youth Services Center, has faced nearly 1,200 lawsuits from former residents alleging abuse dating back six decades. Meehan’s individual lawsuit, set to go to trial this week, will be the first in a series of upcoming trials. The trial will showcase an unusual dynamic in which the state attorney general’s office is prosecuting perpetrators while simultaneously defending the state against civil allegations.
Meehan was 14 years old when he was sent to the Youth Development Center in Manchester in 1995, where he claims he endured brutal abuse, including being beaten, raped hundreds of times, and held in solitary confinement for months. Various workers at the center, according to Meehan’s lawsuit, were complicit in the abuse by either participating in it or enabling it. His lawsuit seeks substantial compensation for the harm he suffered, alleging that the state failed in its duty to protect him and was negligent in hiring, training, and supervising employees. The state, however, denies these claims, arguing that it is not liable for the intentional criminal actions of individual employees and disputing the severity of Meehan’s injuries.
The criminal side of the case has seen ten men charged with sexually assaulting teenagers at the Manchester detention center between 1994 and 2007, with another man facing charges related to a pretrial facility in Concord. The statute of limitations for sexual assault involving children in New Hampshire extends until the victim turns 40, allowing these charges to be brought forward. While the criminal trials of these former workers were initially scheduled to start this month, they have been postponed to August. Judge Andrew Schulman, overseeing Meehan’s civil trial, has emphasized the need for factual arguments and cautioned against emotional appeals.
Meehan’s lawsuit, seeking justice and compensation for the abuse he suffered at the hands of state employees, is one of hundreds brought against the state by former residents of the Sununu Youth Services Center. His case will serve as a test for the other lawsuits expected to follow. His courage in coming forward has given strength to others to speak out about their own experiences of abuse, creating a movement for accountability and justice. The trial is expected to last several weeks, shedding light on the long history of abuse at the youth detention center and the failures of the state to protect vulnerable youth in its care.
The state’s defense strategy revolves around denying liability for the criminal actions of individual employees and questioning the timing of Meehan’s accusations. Despite facing multiple lawsuits and criminal charges, the state maintains that it did not enable or condone the abuse that took place at the detention center. The attorney general’s office is faced with the challenge of prosecuting former workers accused of abuse while also defending the state against civil claims. The interconnected nature of the civil and criminal cases presents a complex legal and ethical dilemma that will play out in the courtroom as justice is sought for David Meehan and the other victims of abuse at the Sununu Youth Services Center.
As the trial unfolds, Meehan’s story will be a focal point in seeking accountability for the traumatic experiences endured by numerous individuals at the Sununu Youth Services Center over the past six decades. The legal battle represents a quest for justice and restitution for the victims of abuse, shedding light on the failures of the state in protecting vulnerable youth in its care. The outcome of Meehan’s trial and the subsequent cases against former state workers will determine the extent of accountability and the measures taken to prevent such abuses from occurring again. It is a pivotal moment in the long and painful history of the Sununu Youth Services Center, one that may bring closure and healing to the survivors of abuse and their families.
