New Hampshire man who brought decades-old youth center abuse scandal to light testifies at trial

By HOLLY RAMER
Associated Press

BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) — The man whose allegations of abuse at New Hampshire’s youth detention center sparked an unprecedented criminal investigation and more than a thousand lawsuits is finally taking the witness stand. David Meehan began testifying Wednesday, the sixth day of his lawsuit’s trial, describing his early years up to his arrival at the Manchester facility. Meehan went to police in 2017 and sued the state three years later alleging he was raped, beaten and locked in solitary confinement at the Youth Development Center in the late 1990s. Nearly a dozen former state workers have been charged and 1,100 lawsuits have been filed by former residents. The state argues it is not responsible for the actions of “rogue” employees. Meehan