The New Hampshire attorney general’s office has reached a settlement of $10 million regarding a troubling case involving Michael Gilpatrick, who alleges he was sexually assaulted in a stairwell at a youth detention center. This information has been reported by several news organizations.
Now 41 years old, Gilpatrick claims that during his time at the Manchester Youth Development Center at the age of 14, he endured sexual and physical abuse at the hands of ten staff members. He describes experiences that included repeated rapes and instances where he was choked to the point of losing consciousness.
Instead of going to trial, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office decided to offer Gilpatrick this substantial settlement, which is significantly higher than what is typically awarded to abuse victims through the state’s compensation fund. This lawsuit would have been only the second among more than 1,300 similar cases to reach trial.
Gilpatrick has spoken about the isolation he felt while in detention, stating there was no one to turn to for help, leaving him trapped in his own fears. He reflected on how the experience transformed him, saying, “That place turned us into what we were. I can’t say what I am now because I’m a better person now. But coming out of that place, I was a monster.”
He described a horrifying incident where two staff members restrained him in a stairwell while a third assaulted him, and a fourth coerced him into performing a sexual act. These allegations led to criminal charges against several former staffers at the center, whom Gilpatrick referred to as a “hit squad.”
Two of those charged have already faced trial. One, Brad Asbury, received a sentence of 20 to 40 years for his role in the assault, while Stephen Murphy’s trial resulted in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury regarding his guilt.
The settlement means Gilpatrick avoids the painful process of reliving his trauma in court again, having previously reacted strongly against defense lawyers during trials. He has shared that he spent many years trying to forget the abuse he suffered as a teenager.
Gilpatrick emphasized the importance of accepting his past, stating, “Once I was about to accept the fact that it wasn’t my fault and I was able to stop blaming myself, I knew I had to say something.”
The New Hampshire attorney general’s office has not yet provided comment on this settlement or the ongoing issues surrounding the case.
