A former resident of a youth holding facility in New Hampshire testified about being raped by a staffer she described as having a split personality, akin to “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The accused, Victor Malavet, faces 12 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault against Natasha Maunsell, who was 15 and 16 years old during her time at the Youth Detention Services Unit in Concord in 2001.
During the trial’s second day, Maunsell recounted feeling a mix of excitement and fear as Malavet assaulted her in a storage closet before handing out candy to other children as a reward. She detailed how he swiftly shifted back to his kind persona after the assault, leaving her in a state of confusion and fear.
The trial against Malavet is the first arising from a five-year investigation into abuse allegations at the Sununu Youth Services Center. Maunsell is among over 1,100 former residents suing the state for alleged abuse spanning several decades.
Malavet’s defense attorney suggested that Maunsell fabricated the allegations to secure financial gain from the state. The defense also aimed to show that Maunsell was not as isolated as portrayed by the prosecution, citing a previous violent incident that led to Maunsell being transferred to the facility where the assault by Malavet allegedly occurred.
Maunsell admitted to initially lying to investigators about the abuse out of fear but later testified about the lasting trauma and fear she experienced. The trial mirrors another civil case where David Meehan was awarded $38 million for abuse suffered at a different youth facility, emphasizing the dual role of the state attorney general’s office in prosecuting offenders and defending the state.