Decades of Alleged Abuse at Sununu Youth Services Center: A Call for Justice
In the quiet town of Concord, New Hampshire, a rally echoes with the voices of former residents from the Sununu Youth Services Center, formerly known as the Youth Development Center, demanding justice for decades of alleged abuse.
Key Points:
- The Sununu Youth Services Center in New Hampshire is under investigation for decades of alleged abuse.
- Close to 1,000 men and women have filed lawsuits against the state of New Hampshire.
- The slow pace of legal proceedings has led to calls for a federal investigation.
- Former residents allege they were subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
- The U.S. Department of Justice has a history of intervening in similar cases to protect incarcerated youths.
The Sununu Youth Services Center has been under criminal investigation by the state since 2019. A significant number of former workers have been arrested in connection with the sexual assault allegations. However, the pace of the criminal and civil proceedings has left many former residents and their families frustrated, leading to calls for a federal investigation by the Department of Justice.
The details of the allegations are far beyond de-stressing. Close to 1,000 men and women have filed lawsuits against the state, claiming they were subjected to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse during their time at the youth center. Charles Glenn, a former resident, alleges he was raped and beaten by workers at the facility. Glenn’s story is just one of many that paint a picture of a systemic failure to protect vulnerable youths.
The complexity of the legal proceedings is compounded by the fact that separate teams from the attorney general’s office are both prosecuting the alleged abusers criminally and defending the state against the allegations in the civil lawsuits. This has led to claims of a conflict of interest and further calls for a federal investigation.
The call for a federal investigation into the allegations of abuse at the Sununu Youth Services Center is not without precedent. The U.S. Department of Justice has previously reached settlements with state juvenile justice departments, enforcing measures to protect incarcerated youths. A federal investigation could provide an impartial examination of the claims, ensuring that justice is served for the victims of abuse at the youth center.
