CONCORD, N.H. — A jury was selected Wednesday to deliberate in the inaugural criminal trial tied to extensive allegations of abuse at New Hampshire’s youth detention facilities, marking a pivotal moment in a scandal that spans decades.
The case involves Victor Malavet, a 52-year-old former employee from Gilford, who faces 12 charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault. According to court documents, Malavet is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl multiple times while she was detained at the Youth Detention Services Unit in Concord during the summer and fall of 2001.
This trial is part of a broader investigation into the systemic abuse alleged to have occurred at state-run facilities including the Youth Development Center in Manchester, from 1960 to 2021. Malavet is one of 11 former juvenile jail staff members charged in connection with the abuse. Tragically, two of these individuals have either passed away or have been declared incompetent for trial. The cases for the remaining accused are scheduled to commence between this fall and next year.
In addition to criminal proceedings, the scandal has instigated nearly 1,300 civil lawsuits against the state. The first of these suits went to trial in April, resulting in a $38 million award to plaintiff David Meehan, who claimed severe abuse at the hands of facility staff. This decision, which pinned the liability on the state, is currently under challenge by government attorneys seeking to reduce the awarded sum.
Legal proceedings for Malavet are set to begin with opening statements Monday at the Merrimack County Superior Court. The trial, expected to last five days, will potentially include testimony from Malavet’s alleged victim and several state police officers, as indicated by witness lists submitted by the involved attorneys.
As these legal battles unfold, they shed light on a harrowing history of systemic abuse within state-run youth facilities. The outcomes may not only provide justice for the victims but also prompt significant reforms in how youthful offenders are treated under state care, aiming at preventing such abuses in the future.