Concord, N.H. – New Hampshire’s attorney general’s office has reached a $10 million settlement with Michael Gilpatrick, who alleged he was gang-raped by staff members at the state's Youth Development Center (YDC) in the 1990s.
Nidhi Pal
Gilpatrick’s lawsuit was set to be the second of over 1,300 abuse cases to go to trial, but both sides opted for an out-of-court settlement. His payout is four times higher than what victims typically receive through the state's settlement fund, though significantly less than the $38 million jury verdict awarded in a similar case last year, which the state is trying to reduce to $475,000.
Gilpatrick, now 41 years old, was sent to YDC at age 14 in 1997 and stayed for three years. His lawsuit accused 10 staff members of severe sexual and physical abuse, including being choked unconscious and repeatedly raped.
One of the most horrific incidents he described involved two staff members holding him down in a stairwell while another raped him, and a fourth man forced him to perform a sex act. He referred to the accused staffers as a "hit squad", alleging they would go door to door and assault multiple children at the facility.
The criminal investigation into YDC began in 2019, leading to the arrests of 11 former staff members. Among them:
Gilpatrick, who kept silent about his trauma for years, said the settlement spares him another painful trial. He hopes his case brings justice to others who suffered at YDC.
The youth detention facility, which once held over 100 children, now houses fewer than a dozen. It is named after former Governor John H. Sununu, but lawmakers have approved closing it permanently and replacing it with a smaller facility.
This settlement marks a major development in New Hampshire’s largest child abuse case, with more lawsuits still pending.
