AG report on Berlin murder calls for expanding domestic violence prevention tool statewide

One of the report's major recommendations focuses on the Lethality Assessment Program or LAP — a 13-question checklist police officers use when responding to domestic violence calls.

Advocates said the tool, developed nearly 20 years ago, has been proven to save lives but is only used intermittently in New Hampshire.

"We are hugely supportive of that and appreciative that the attorney general recognizes this as a key safety tool," said Lyn Schollett of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. "It's also important to note that this is an evidence-based tool. Research shows that if an offender rapes the victim, strangles the victim or has firearms, the likelihood they will go on to cause serious bodily injury or even to kill someone increases dramatically."
 
At New Beginnings in Laconia, one of 12 crisis centers in New Hampshire, advocates receive LAP calls directly from law enforcement. Executive Director Shauna Foster said the initial contact often becomes the start of a much longer relationship with survivors.

WMUR
October 17, 2025

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