New charges against registered sex offender stir up painful memories for family of previous victim5/26/2026
Advocates said the case underscores concerns about repeat offenders and how information is shared between agencies.
"We need the decision-makers, whether that's a judge in an individual case or a parole board member, to know the full range of violent conduct that the person in front of them has committed in the past," said Lyn Schollett, of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. WMUR May 22, 2026 Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said the review must serve as a starting point.
"[Fuentes] could see what was happening here,” Schollett said. “We need the police and the courts to fully appreciate that this pattern is escalating, and if we don’t document it and intervene, more victims will die." WMUR May 20, 2026 Officer fired for ‘glaring failure’ in basic policing before N.H. domestic violence murder-suicide5/20/2026
Fuentes Huaracha did everything society asks survivors to do in these situations, according to the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. She reported the assault, sought help, and successfully persuaded a judge to issue a protective order. But the system still failed to keep her safe.
Boston Globe May 18, 2026 Berlin police internal review finds ‘glaring failure’ in response before domestic violence homicide5/20/2026
The internal investigation released Friday called the handling of the welfare check on Gleason a “glaring failure,” one of several missteps by the police department that culminated in the murder and suicide on July 6.
Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic, and Sexual Violence, said calls like this must be treated with the highest level of urgency. “A victim’s life should never ever depend on whether one individual officer connects the dots in real time,” she said. “We are all left wondering, what if someone else had known that this phone call was so inadequate? Would Marisol be alive today?” Concord Monitor May 18, 2026 Meanwhile, a bill that would compel the department to more regularly report to victims the status of restitution cases has been moving quickly through the Legislature during this session.
The Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence backed this legislation along with past and present victim witness advocates from Hillsborough County. Pamela Keilig with the coalition said this law hasn’t been updated in 30 years, and these changes are consistent with “best practices” adopted in other states including Maine and Pennsylvania. Union Leader April 19, 2026 Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, urged support, noting 12 states have judges identified in evaluations and other states do it through state bar associations.
She repeated Lynn’s assessment that the caliber of judicial work in New Hampshire is high. The evaluations don’t look at case outcomes but rather a judge’s impartiality, temperament and the clarity of his or her decisions, Schollett said. “I have seen traumatizing harm that ineffective judges can have,” Schollett added. Union Leader April 7, 2026 The bill’s backers, who include Rep. Bob Lynn of Windham, a former chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said the new requirements could improve judicial performance.
“I have seen the traumatizing harm that ineffective judges can have,” Schollett said, noting that a dozen states make judicial evaluations public by law, while others disclose them though state bar associations. NHPR April 7, 2026 NH House Tables Bill That Would Place Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence UNder 91-A3/12/2026
The Coalition has said public records requirements would put confidential information about its clients at risk and that that would jeopardize its federal grant funding.
In a statement after the vote, the Coalition’s public affairs director, Amanda Grady Sexton, said Gov. Kelly Ayotte had indicated she would veto the bill if it passed. “Her commitment sent a powerful message that the safety and privacy of victims must always be protected,” Grady Sexton said. Concord Monitor March 11, 2026 Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the Coalition, thanked Ayotte and the other lawmakers who stopped Read’s attack.
“We’re relieved that HB 1675 has been tabled and effectively defeated. This bill began as a vendetta driven by conspiracy theories and was originally designed to defund the Coalition, silence victims of crime, and punish the advocates who support them,” Grady Sexton said. “The amendment offered by Rep. [Erica] Layon did nothing to fix the fundamental problem. We are grateful that lawmakers ultimately chose to protect victims’ right to confidential services rather than advance personal disputes fueled by misinformation. We also appreciate that Gov. Kelly Ayotte made clear in advance that she would veto this harmful bill, reinforcing that New Hampshire will not compromise the safety and privacy of victims.” NHJournal March 11, 2026 Executive Director Lyn Schollett framed the amendment as worse than the original form, saying the Coalition and crisis centers handle confidential information about their clients. In writing grant applications and police trainings, the Coalition draws on personal stories of the people that it serves.
She also said the federal grants that make up the lion’s share of funding require that information to be kept confidential. “If 91-A were applied, it would be an absolute open-door fishing expedition for defense attorneys to try to get to that information,” Schollett said. “The result would be victims won’t come forward.” Concord Monitor March 10, 2026 |
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The 12 member programs of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence provide services to all victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, stalking, and child abuse.
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Funding for this website was provided by The Corporate Fund.
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
PO Box 353, Concord, NH 03302-0353
(603) 224-8893
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
PO Box 353, Concord, NH 03302-0353
(603) 224-8893
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