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The report makes other recommendations about how the state can improve access to services for victims and to expand the use of lethality assessments by police to identify those prone to acts of extreme violence.
The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence praised Formella’s report for detailing how the system had failed Fuentes. “Only when police, prosecutors and the courts have full information about an offender’s history and access to evidenced-based lethality assessment tools, can they make informed decisions that best prioritize the safety of victims and the public,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, the coalition’s director of public affairs. Union Leader October 14, 2025 Police seized 24 guns before murder-suicide in Berlin, N.H., but they should have done more, AG says10/15/2025
The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence said in a statement that Fuentes Huaracha did everything society asks survivors to do in these situations. 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.
“Her story is a heartbreaking reminder that our collective response must do more to prioritize survivor safety and offender accountability at every stage of the criminal legal process,” the coalition said, in the statement released by public affairs director Amanda Grady Sexton. Boston Globe October 14, 2025 "Cases like these are, you know, very shocking and unsettling for the community. But there are things that we can do. And that is to continue talking about these issues and, you know, be aware that sexual violence can happen anywhere," said Pamela Keilig, from the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
She added that this is a chance for potential bystanders to understand what they can do, even if these situations are more rare compared to those in which the victim knows their attacker. "It's really important that communities recognize, and take action to ensure that these public spaces are safe, and that people feel supported in their communities when something like this happens," Keilig said. WMUR September 19, 2025 The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee aims to take a close look at many cases of domestic violence, such as the death of Marisol Fuentes in Berlin.
The goal is to identify areas of improvement in the hope of preventing future deaths from domestic violence. "More than half of homicides in New Hampshire are directly related to domestic violence," said Meg Chant of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. "Those cases don't just impact the direct victims, whether they're deceased or not, but also impact children, families and our whole communities.” WMUR September 3, 2025 Joi Smith, the program director at the coalition, said that having the perspective of a health care worker at the table is invaluable, explaining that when sexual assault and domestic violence occur together, it signals an extremely high-risk situation where the survivor could face a potentially fatal outcome.
“The hospital, that’s often a first point of contact for a lot of folks that are in a highly vulnerable situation,” Smith said. “It’s really imperative that every member of that team, including all of the other multidisciplinary teams, the crisis centers, the law enforcement, paramedics, that everyone is aware of how dangerous these situations are.” Concord Monitor September 2, 2025 N.H. Attorney General John Formella on Tuesday named 17 people, including Assistant Cheshire County Attorney Shanna O’Rorke, to the state’s newly established Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee.
The panel, which was created this year under N.H. Senate Bill 140, will examine cases in which somebody died through domestic violence. The goal will be to determine best practices that might be employed to prevent such violence. “Fatality review committees have shown us time and again that domestic violence is preventable and that lives could be saved if systems communicated better, assessed risk more consistently, and held offenders accountable,” Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the N.H. Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, said in a prepared statement Tuesday. Keene Sentinel September 2, 2025 Amanda Grady Sexton, public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said it’s typical for domestic violence cases to move quickly with high-stakes proceedings across multiple courtrooms, but the state still struggles with “huge gaps in information sharing” and other challenges.
The magistrate’s bail decision in this case bore tragic consequences, but it occurred “within a network of systems” that failed to prioritize safety for survivors of domestic violence, Grady Sexton said. “The focus shouldn’t be only on one person losing a job, but on how the state will prevent the next tragedy,” she added. Boston Globe August 27, 2025 Amanda Grady Sexton, public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said even if the behavior at issue in this case didn’t constitute criminal conduct, it demonstrated a serious ethical violation that betrayed the public’s trust and marred the credibility of civilian and military institutions alike.
“Positions like these come with a degree of authority, and with that comes responsibility, especially when people in these positions are interacting with individuals who might be younger or subordinate,” she said. “If you’re implying self-harm in order to access sex, that’s not benign in any way,” she added. “That’s using manipulation, and it’s really important that institutions recognize that as a problem and a pattern.” Boston Globe August 27, 2025 Reacting to the report [published Monday], Lyn Schollett, executive director of the Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence said the court system needed broad improvements.
“The defendant in this case was ordered four times to relinquish his firearms and still had access to a gun that he used to kill Marisol,” Schollett said in a statement Tuesday. “This is unacceptable and New Hampshire has a responsibility to do better. Internal reviews of domestic violence cases should be conducted routinely, not just when there has been a tragic outcome resulting in death or injury.” NH Bulletin August 26, 2025 Advocates against domestic violence are calling for the courts to routinely review their decisions on domestic violence cases in response to an internal review that determined the courts released Michael Gleason Jr. on bail despite evidence that he was dangerous.
“I think this report shows that survivors are credible witnesses to their own experiences,” Schollett said. “When a survivor indicates that they are in danger and expect their risk of harm to increase, it’s very important that be taken seriously.” Concord Monitor August 26, 2025 |
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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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